Forbidden Love: The Original Version
by Anncatz
Summary: When Serenity Wheeler crosses paths with Seto Kaiba, things are bound to happen, and in this tale, they happen more quickly than anyone could expect. Love, anger, fear, and chaos are woven together as Serenity tries to melt the ice around Seto's heart.
1. Autumn Duels

**Note to the Reader:**

Before you begin reading Forbidden Love: The Original Version, it is important for you to know that a revised edition of it was released on June 29, 2009. _**The new version is in no way a sequel or new storyline**_**,** but keeps the plot almost entirely intact. Its purpose is to turn the original story into an overall smoother, more sophisticated work. It accomplishes this through slight changes in dialogue, character, and detail. Some scenes were added, deleted, or altered.

Having given you this information, I recommend that you visit the new version, as opposed to this one.

To the updated work: .net/s/5175203/1/Forbidden_Love

This copy of the story will remain on for any who prefers it to its newer counterpart, any who wishes to seek the differences between the two, and any who wishes to spoil the plot for his or herself, since the revised edition is not yet complete. I, however, advise against this act.

I apologize for any confusion that resulted from the publication of the new Forbidden Love. It was a rather disorganized process, but I hope that all is clear now.

Thank you for your time,

~Anncatz

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own Yu-Gi-Oh.

(Please note that this story takes place after Battle City.)

Chapter 1: Autumn Duels

Serenity Wheeler watched as an orange colored leaf drifted down from a nearby tree. She then looked up to her older brother, Joey, who was holding her close to him and gently running his fingers through her hair. She smiled. "Isn't fall wonderful, Joey?" she asked him.

Joey didn't reply, but just smiled back and continued to run his fingers through Serenity's long, brown hair. The two of them were standing in the park, spending some time away from their everyday lives, relaxing.

"I love fall because it's so pretty," Serenity went on. "The trees are such nice shades of yellow, orange, and red. Everything is beautiful. I wouldn't even be able to see the beauties of this world if it wasn't for you. You have no idea how grateful I am to be able to see again, Joey. I'll never forget what you did for me. You're the best brother a girl could have." She sighed, then closed her eyes and laid her head on her beloved brother's chest.

Meanwhile, there was another passing through the park. He was tall and thin with brown hair and bright blue eyes; none other than the young and cold hearted CEO of Kaiba Corporation, Seto Kaiba. He glanced at Joey Wheeler, who happened to be one of his greatest rivals, then looked to the girl that he held close to him. _'Wheeler's gotten himself a girlfriend?'_ Kaiba asked himself. He looked at her closely then realized who she was. _'No. That's his sister. What was her name again?' _He tried to recall her name, but that thought went out of his mind when he felt Joey's harsh glare upon him. Kaiba glared back then hurried on his way.

Serenity opened her eyes just in time to see Kaiba leaving the park. "Joey," she said, "wasn't that Seto Kaiba?"

Joey nodded.

Serenity was aware of the rivalry between her brother and Seto Kaiba. "You know, it was quite rude of us not to say hello to him."

"Are you crazy, Serenity?" Joey asked. "Seto Kaiba is heartless! He doesn't deserve respect; especially after all he's done to me. Don't you remember what I've told you about him?"

"Yes, I remember. But everyone deserves a little respect, Joey, even someone like Kaiba."

Though he really disagreed with his sister, Joey nodded, saying, "I guess so."

* * *

Seto Kaiba sat in his home office, typing something, when his little brother Mokuba poked his head into the room. "Hey, Seto?"

Kaiba turned to his brother. "Yes, Mokuba?"

Mokuba pulled out his deck of Duel Monsters cards. "Do you think you could show me a thing or two about Duel Monsters? I want to be a great Duelist like you someday. I know how to play and all, but I'd really like it if you could show me some strategies and stuff. Please, Seto?"

"Not today, Mokuba. I'm sorry, but I've got some business to take care of. Tomorrow I'll show you some things, ok?"

Mokuba seemed a bit disappointed, but then he lightened up. "How about we go to the park tomorrow? It's supposed to be a really nice day and there'll be no one around and-"

Kaiba interrupted his brother. "No, Mokuba."

"Aw, c'mon, Seto. You need to get out. For days now you've done nothing but sit at that computer and work. Please, please, please can we go?"

"All right... We'll go, Mokuba. But I've got to finish my work now, ok?"

Mokuba smiled at his brother. "Ok, Seto!"

* * *

Kaiba and his brother were walking slowly through the park, looking for a good place where they could play cards. They soon found a picnic table, but it was unfortunately occupied by...

"Look, Seto!" Mokuba exclaimed excitedly. "It's Yugi Muto!"

"Hmm?" Kaiba looked to the picnic table. It was indeed Yugi Muto, Kaiba's respected adversary, along with all of his friends. This, of course, included Joey Wheeler and his sister Serenity. There was also Tristan Taylor, who was very close to Joey, Tea Gardner, the voice of reason in the group, Bakura Ryou, the sweet and shy one, Duke Devlin, an intelligent game creator, and Mai Valentine, a young woman supposed to be Joey's girlfriend.

Yugi, who had heard Mokuba yell, turned around to see the Kaiba brothers. "Hi guys!" he said happily. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Seto and I can here to play Duel Monsters," Mokuba replied. "Looks like that's what you came to do too, huh, Yugi?"

"Yup. Why don't you two join us?" Yugi offered.

"Humph. Why would we join you, when none of you are worthy of our company, especially that dog, Wheeler?" Kaiba said coldly.

"Don't mind Seto. Besides, I've got a great idea. How about we have a dueling tournament?" Mokuba asked eagerly.

"Mokuba," Kaiba began, "you can't have a tournament with ten people."

Mokuba thought a moment. What his brother said was true. "Well then, how about this? Say you and I were dueling and it ending up being a REALLY close match. Since it was a close game, we would both advance to the next round. But only one pair of duelists could do that. So the two who get the closest will advance. Do you get it, Seto?"

"Of course I get it."

"I think that's a very good idea, Mokuba," Yugi said. "It ought to be fun too. What do you say, Kaiba?"

Kaiba looked at all of them. Everyone seemed to be eager to duel. He shrugged. "Ok, I'm in. I could be all of you anyway."

"Wait, Seto, you've got to help me first," Mokuba told his brother.

"Fine, I'll show you some things..."

When Kaiba had finished fixing Mokuba's deck a bit and teaching him a few things, names were drawn to decide who would play who.

The first duel was between Bakura and Tea, in which Bakura emerged the victor.

Kaiba got a fairly easy win from Mai, spending the whole duel coldly telling her how bad her moves had been.

Mokuba was against Serenity, and disappointed his big brother by losing the game.

Tristan and Duke played each other, both saying that they would win it for Serenity, which made the girl blush. Duke got a narrow win, but not quite as narrow as the duel that came after theirs.

Yugi and Joey, the two best friends, had to duel. Yugi won, but since it had been close, they both moved on.

In the second round, the first match was between Yugi and Duke. It was quite an embarrassment to Duke, considering that he lost badly.

Kaiba's second opponent was one he didn't expect to be up against. Serenity Wheeler, the very girl he had seen at the same park yesterday, trying to remember her name. They sat at the picnic table, drew their cards, and then started the game. Serenity went first, playing a very weak monster in attack mode.

"Well?" Joey said, glaring at Kaiba. "Aren't you gonna say something mean already? I mean, you made fun of my girlfriend's moves, so why don't you just make fun of my sister's?"

That was true. Serenity's move was rather stupid on her part. However, Kaiba ignored Joey and didn't say a word to Serenity. This went on for the entire duel.

Kaiba won, but was surprised at how well Serenity had done. Not too well, but much better than he expected. They stood, then shook hands. Kaiba gave Serenity one of his very rare smiles. "Good job," he complimented her. "You did a lot better than I thought you would."

"Thanks, Kaiba," Serenity said happily.

"Who knows, you may be surpassing the puppy-" -he threw a glare a Joey- "-in no time, uh... What's your name again?"

"Serenity."

"Right." When Kaiba turned to the others, he noticed that they were staring at him. He grunted, then asked, "What are you staring at?"

"Oh, nothing," Yugi said. "I suppose we should get on to the next duel then."

It was Bakura and Joey. A close match indeed, so they both advanced to the next round.

In the third round, Kaiba had to duel Joey. Kaiba loved this, and made fun of Joey's every move. Kaiba was the victor, and Joey took his loss very hard.

In the match between Yugi and Bakura, Yugi won, which left him to duel Kaiba in the final round.

It was a very grueling match, and very narrow too, but Kaiba finally managed to beat his greatest adversary.

Kaiba laughed. "See, Yugi? After all those times of losing to you, I finally pulled it off. Guess you're not so good now, huh?"

Yugi shrugged. "I don't know, Kaiba. Things may have been different if I would have let my other half take over."

"Yugi, you know I don't believe in that rubbish."

"Think what you want, Kaiba, but the Millennium Puzzle doesn't lie."

"Hey guys," Tea piped in, "how would you all like to stop and get some ice cream?"

"Oh, I'd love that, Tea!" Serenity exclaimed. She then looked to Kaiba. "Why don't the two of you come with us?"

"Mokuba and I don't have time for things like that," Kaiba explained. "Come on, Mokuba, let's go home."

"But Seto!" Mokuba said stubbornly. "I'm in the mood for ice cream. I want to go with them."

Kaiba looked to his brother, then to Serenity. For a moment, he stared into her hazel eyes. He could tell that they both wanted him to come along. He sighed, and then reluctantly agreed to go with them.


	2. Ice Cream and Confusion

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own Yu-Gi-Oh.

(Please note that this story takes place after Battle City.)

Chapter 2: Ice Cream and Confusion

Mokuba Kaiba looked at all of the ice cream in the ice cream parlor, debating over which flavor he was going to get. He looked to his brother, who was standing beside him. "What's your favorite, Seto?"

Kaiba shrugged. "To be honest, I don't care much for ice cream. I don't have a favorite," he said.

"I think I want chocolate chip..."

"Ok then, that's what I'll have too."

After they received their ice cream, the Kaiba brothers looked around the parlor. Joey and Mai were seated at a table for two, Yugi, Tea, and Bakura were in a booth that could seat four, and so were Serenity, Duke, and Tristan. "Let's sit over there Mokuba," he whispered to his brother, pointing to a table for two all the on the other side of the parlor.

"Why so far away from the others?" Mokuba questioned.

"Because we're not welcome among them. Can't you tell that? If they wanted us around, they'd have saved a seat for us."

"Oh...."

So they headed over to the table and sat there. Mokuba happily ate his ice cream while Kaiba simply stirred his around instead.

"What's the matter, Seto? Don't you like your ice cream?"

Kaiba took a bite of his ice cream to please his brother.

"I know you don't think we're welcome, but I still don't see why. So they didn't save a seat for us, big deal. That doesn't mean they don't want us around. Don't you think of them as friends, Seto?"

_"Friends?_ You've got to be kidding me, Mokuba," Kaiba said. "I don't need friends, I'm fine by myself. In fact, I don't even want any."

"You know, that's really sad," said another voice, other than Mokuba's.

Kaiba turned, finding Serenity Wheeler standing by his table. "What are you doing over here?" he asked her. "You shouldn't be eavesdropping on other people's conversations!"

"I'm sorry," Serenity said, bowing. "I just thought that it was strange that you two were sitting over here all by yourselves."

"Why would you think it's strange when you obviously don't want us around?" Kaiba snapped.

"I never said that," Serenity told Kaiba. "But I must say again that the fact that you don't have friends, or even want to, is sad. Everyone needs a friend or two. Don't you ever get lonely, Kaiba?"

Kaiba hung his head. "Well, I..." His voice trailed off.

"Tell you what, you can sit with me, Tristan, and Duke."

"The booths here only seat four people. Mokuba and I couldn't both sit with you."

"I could sit with Yugi, Tea, and Bakura," Mokuba offered.

"No," Kaiba told his brother firmly. Then he looked to Serenity and said to her, "Where ever Mokuba sits has to be by me, so there's no way that we could sit at your booth."

Serenity smiled. "That's where you're wrong. Mokuba's small. We can all fit in one booth. We may be a bit squished, but I don't mind."

"Ok!" Mokuba exclaimed.

So, the Kaiba brothers moved to Serenity's table. Serenity suggested that Kaiba sit next to her, so that they could talk.

"Chocolate chip, huh?" Serenity asked Kaiba, seeing what kind of ice cream he had gotten. "That's what I got too. That's my favorite."

"Oh really?" Kaiba asked. "Well, um... Mine too."

"But I thought you said you didn't have a favorite, Seto," Mokuba pointed out.

"Uh..." Kaiba fiddled around for an answer. "That was before I tried this."

In reality, there wasn't much conversation going on. Yet Kaiba did feel welcome, among Serenity at least: the only one who would talk to him, even if she didn't say much.

* * *

Hours after the meeting at the ice cream parlor, Seto Kaiba sat by his brother, with many thoughts going through his mind. "Serenity," he mumbled.

Mokuba looked up from the book he was reading. "What was that, Seto?" he asked.

"Nothing..." With that, Kaiba stood and headed to his room. When he reached it, he lay on his bed and sighed. "Serenity." He could hear her words in his head.

_'You know, that's really sad. Everyone needs a friend or two. Don't you ever get lonely?'_

"Why would she care?" Kaiba asked himself, not realizing that he was talking aloud. "What reasons does she have to care about me and about the fact that I don't have friends? Why do I care about what she said to me? It's not important. It doesn't matter. I don't need anyone."

"You like her, don't you?" Kaiba heard someone say.

Mokuba then entered his room. "Serenity," he said. "You like her, don't you?"

"Mokuba, leave me alone," Kaiba said sternly. "Go back to reading your book or something."

"I can't, Seto. I was concerned. I thought I heard you say 'Serenity'. Do you have a crush on her?"

"Mokuba, you shouldn't have come up here in the first place, and you shouldn't have been listening to what I was talking about. I need to be alone right now."

"I'm sorry. But could you answer my question now?"

Kaiba thought for a while. "No," he said finally. "I don't like her."

"Not even for a friend?"

"I've told you already. I don't need any friends."

"I think you should get her for a girlfriend, Seto. She's really nice and really pretty."

Kaiba laughed. "By the way you're talking, it sounds like you're the one with the crush on her."

"No. But thanks for answering anyway, Seto. I guess I'll leave you alone now..." Mokuba quietly left the room.

After making sure that his brother was gone for good, Kaiba continued to think aloud. "That's right," he assured himself. "I DON'T like her. I shouldn't... I can't... I won't..."


	3. Playing Cupid

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own Yu-Gi-Oh.

(Please note that this story takes place after Battle City.)

Chapter 3: Playing Cupid

It was Saturday morning, and Seto Kaiba had gone to work at Kaiba Corporation since there was, as always, no school that day. Mokuba Kaiba sat at home alone, remembering the night before. His brother had seemed awfully confused about the events that happened at the ice cream parlor. Mokuba had spent nearly the entire night thinking about the way Kaiba acted around Serenity Wheeler. He was not mean to her in any way and was, in fact, actually being nice. He had also given her a smile, which he didn't just give to anyone. There was definitely something behind the way Kaiba had behaved, Mokuba knew.

_'There's got to be a way,'_ Mokuba thought to himself. _'But how do I do it?'_

"Mokuba, I'm home!" Kaiba called as he entered his mansion.

"Seto!" Mokuba exclaimed happily. "I got the mail for you. It's just right over there." He pointed to a nearby table.

"Good," Kaiba told his brother. He headed to the table and picked up a pile of letters. He looked through them quickly, but stopped when he came to an envelope that did not have a return address on it. "What's this?" he asked, taking a seat at the table. He opened the envelope and silently read through the letter inside it:

'_Dear Seto Kaiba,_

_It wasn't until yesterday, as I was thinking to myself, that I realized how I really feel about you. I must admit, I am truly in love with you. You're so charming and handsome. I would like nothing more than to be with you. Please meet me under the Sakura tree in the middle of the park tomorrow evening, 5:00. Feel free to wait under the Sakura tree for me if you want._

_Love,_

Your Secret Admirer' 

"What's that you're reading, Seto?" Mokuba asked curiously.

Kaiba could tell that Mokuba wanted to look at the letter. He didn't mind, so handed it over to his brother.

Mokuba read through the letter, then asked, "Are you going to see her tomorrow?"

"I might," Kaiba replied, "if I've got nothing better to do."

* * *

Kaiba stood in the middle of the park, staring at the Sakura tree. There was no one there. _'This is a waste of my time_,' he thought. He sat down under the tree muttering, "This had better be good."

Suddenly, a girl came into view. She headed toward the Sakura tree. It was a girl Kaiba recognized...

_'Serenity Wheeler is my secret admirer?!'_ he thought, very shocked.

"Hello, Kaiba," Serenity said sweetly.

Kaiba looked over her for a moment, perplexed. "Hi," he then muttered. "Why don't you sit down?"

Serenity began to blush a bit as she sat next to Kaiba under the tree. "How are you?" she asked him.

"Fine."

"Kaiba, may I ask you something?" 

Kaiba nodded. "Sure, go ahead."

Serenity handed Kaiba an envelope, asking, "Were you the one who wrote this?"

Kaiba opened the envelope, then read what was inside:

'My Dearest Serenity,

I love you with all my heart. You are the light of my life. You're kind hearted, beautiful, and very angelic. Please give me a chance to be with you. Meet me at the park, under the Sakura tree tomorrow at 5:00. I can't wait to see you again!

Love,

Your Secret Admirer'

Kaiba gasped after finishing the note. "Serenity!" he exclaimed. "This is a set up!"

"What?" Serenity asked, confused.

He handed Serenity the letter he'd received, telling her to read it.

"You're right, Kaiba," Serenity agreed after reading it. "The letters are somewhat identical, and so is the handwriting on the envelopes. But who would do such a thing?"

"I don't know..." Kaiba then compared the two letters, closely studying the handwriting. It was oddly familiar to him. Finally, he was able to place it.

"I know who it was, Serenity," he whispered.

"Who?"

"It was my brother..."


	4. Holding Back

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own Yu-Gi-Oh.

(Please note that this story takes place after Battle City.)

Chapter 4: Holding Back

"Mokuba?" Serenity questioned, finding it rather hard to believe that Seto Kaiba's little brother was the one who wrote the fake love notes.

Kaiba nodded. "I know my brother's handwriting when I see it. I don't understand why I didn't recognize it before... Darn him! That kid's got some nerve."

"What do you think made him do this, Kaiba?"

Kaiba thought back to a few nights ago, recalling what Mokuba had said to him. "After we came home from the ice cream parlor, Mokuba told me that I should get you for a girlfriend because you were really nice and really pretty," he explained.

Serenity giggled. "How sweet of him to say that! I suppose he must think I'm the right one for you. What do you think?"

Kaiba's face began to redden, but he tried desperately to stop the blush from coming. "I don't know," he told her.

"Well, what should we do?"

"What do you mean? I'm going back to Kaiba Corporation."

"But you can't go!" Serenity exclaimed, grabbing onto Kaiba's arm.

"Don't touch me!" Kaiba said harshly, giving her an extremely cold glare.

Serenity obeyed, letting go of Kaiba. She then turned her head away, no longer wanting to look at him. That look had been so icy and cold, it seemed to have pierced her heart. _'Perhaps that's what Joey meant when he told me that Kaiba could be so cold,'_ she thought sadly.

All was silent for a long while, but then, Serenity felt Kaiba's hand on her shoulder.

"Look at me," he said, his voice soft.

She looked to him, and immediately noticed the sincere look in his eyes. She stared into them, and couldn't help but think of how they shone like sapphires.

"I'm sorry," Kaiba told her tenderly. "I really am. Are you mad, Serenity?"

Serenity shook her head. "No," she replied. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have-"

"It's ok," Kaiba interrupted. "But why didn't you want me to leave?"

"Well, I guess that's because I didn't want to disappoint little Mokuba. I still don't want you to go, Kaiba. I thought that maybe we could on a... Well, um... On a date."

Kaiba gaped at her, too stunned to speak.

She began to blush terribly, then added, "It wouldn't have to be anything special. We could go just as friends. You know, to please Mokuba."

"Oh, I understand," Kaiba said.

"Would you like to?" Serenity asked him hopefully.

"Yeah, I'll go with you, but it will be just as friends, right?"

"That's right."

* * *

Kaiba and Serenity had decided to go have dinner at a fancy restaurant and were just now exiting it.

"Thanks, Kaiba!" Serenity said happily. "But you really shouldn't have spent all of that money. I wanted to help pay for the cost. It isn't right that you paid all of it."

"Nonsense, Serenity," Kaiba said. "It was nothing." He then looked up to the sky. It was becoming dark. "It's getting late. We should probably head for home."

Serenity grinned. "No," she said, "let's not. There are plenty of things to do at night."

Kaiba looked at her, a bit confused. "Like what?"

With her grin growing larger, Serenity grabbed Kaiba's arm. "Stargazing!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Instead of snapping at Serenity for grabbing onto him as he had done before, Kaiba smiled. "Ok," he agreed, "we'll go stargazing. The only problem is that there aren't exactly any stars out yet."

"I've got the perfect spot! It's kind of a far walk from here, so by the time we get there, the stars should be out. Come on, I'll show you the way!" Serenity let go of Kaiba's arm, then the two headed on their way.

All of the time they were walking, Kaiba kept glancing down at Serenity's nearby hand. There had been something telling him to hold it, but he wouldn't allow himself to, remembering what he'd said to himself the other night:

_'That's right. I DON'T like her. I shouldn't. I can't. I won't.'_

Finally, they reached their destination. It was by a dismal lake, and as Serenity had said, the view was perfect. She sat down on the ground and Kaiba sat next to her.

"Thanks for coming with me, Kaiba," Serenity said.

Kaiba smiled. "Call me Seto," he told Serenity.

She smiled back at him. "Ok." Then she laughed a bit. "Wow! I feel like that's a great privilege. I mean, nobody calls you Seto except for Mokuba."

There was a short silence as they both stared into the night sky. Kaiba thought it to be rather pointless, until Serenity said, "It's so beautiful, don't you think, Seto?"

He stared into the sky for the longest time, leaving Serenity to believe that he wasn't going to answer. Finally he replied, "Yeah. It's beautiful. I've just never thought of it that way."

Serenity looked to him in disbelief. "Then what did you think?"

"I just thought that it was the sky, that's all. I'd never really stopped to look at it like this before."

"Have you ever looked at the sky in the early morning, with all its pretty colors?"

Kaiba shook his head.

"Or how about in the afternoon? The sky is such a beautiful blue and it's got all of those fluffy, white clouds..."

Again Kaiba shook his head.

"Well, then have you ever stopped to look up at the trees in the fall? They're all orange and yellow and red. That's pretty too."

"No, Serenity," Kaiba said, beginning to feel a bit ashamed of himself.

"Have you ever noticed all of the pretty flowers in spring? Spring is a wonderful season."

"No."

"Then have you ever looked at the snow covered ground and snow covered houses in the winter?"

"No."

"I just don't believe it, Seto. You've never stopped to look or think about any of it? That's quite sad. The world is beautiful. You've just got to look at it the right way. You've got to get out and live a little."

"Someday, you'll have to show me. I don't think I could see it right without you. After all, I'd never seen it before."

"I will, Seto, I will."

The two teens hadn't noticed that they'd been inching closer and closer to each other with every word. They had originally been quite far apart, but it was now the opposite. They were very close. Too close maybe.

After Serenity said that she'd show him everything, neither of them had spoken a word. The moment was very awkward to both of them, but to Kaiba especially. Serenity was staring at him, or to be better put, staring into his eyes. He didn't know what to think of it, but simply stared back into hers. Kaiba couldn't help but feel that Serenity was more beautiful than any of the world's wonders could ever be.

Then, he was tempted. Kaiba had suddenly gotten the urge to kiss her. He slowly shut his eyes and leaned in for the kiss...

_'I shouldn't... I can't... I won't...'_

Just before he'd kissed her, his words came back to him. He instantly pulled away, stopping himself. He then stood and turned his back to Serenity.

Serenity's mind had been empty all the while. She hadn't really paid much attention to what was going on. Suddenly, the realization hit her. _'Did Seto just try to kiss me?'_ she asked herself. She looked up to him and asked, concerned, "Are you ok?"

"I can't," Kaiba muttered quietly. "I just can't. I won't allow myself to stoop that low. She's...and I'm... How could I possibly..."

Serenity got up and walked over to Kaiba. "I don't understand what you're trying to say."

"I wasn't talking to you," Kaiba snapped.

"But I can tell something's wrong. Please tell me what's on your mind."

Kaiba turned around to look at her one more time. "I can't go through with this!" he yelled. His voice then softened as he said, "I'm sorry, Serenity, but I have to go now."

"Goodbye, Seto," Serenity told him sadly, still unable to understand what had gone wrong.


	5. Thunder Booming, Love Blooming

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 5: Thunder Booming, Love Blooming

Mokuba Kaiba stood with his head hung in shame as his older brother yelled at him.

"I am extremely disappointed in you, Mokuba! The prank you played on Serenity and me was very childish and uncalled for! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

"It wasn't a prank," Mokuba replied, raising his head. "I wrote the love notes because I really wanted you to get with Serenity. I was just doing what I thought was right."

"You were doing what you thought was right, huh?" Kaiba asked.

Mokuba nodded.

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "You did just the opposite of what you wanted to do, Mokuba. What you did was wrong. From now on, I want you to stay out of my business and let me make the decisions around here!"

Mokuba could tell that his brother was more than just mad, but this was a matter that had so many unanswered questions. He looked into Kaiba's eyes; they were full of fury. "Don't you like Serenity?" he questioned.

"Haven't I told you the answer to that already? No, Mokuba, I don't!"

"Then why were you gone for so long yesterday? What did you and Serenity do for all that time?"

Kaiba turned his back to Mokuba. "Forget about it," he said, with a hint of sadness in his voice. "I don't want to see or talk to Serenity Wheeler ever again."

"But why, Seto?"

"I have my reasons. Now, leave me alone!" With that, Kaiba headed back to his room, where he laid on his bed, beginning to think back to his date with Serenity.

_'How could I?'_ he asked himself. _'Serenity is Joey's sister. To fall for that dog's sister would be foolish. Besides, I was just saying the other day that I didn't need anyone. And I don't.'_

He shut his eyes tightly, trying to remove the memories from his head. He could hear and see Serenity in his mind.

"I was so close," Kaiba said quietly, recalling how he had almost kissed her. _'I won't allow myself to stoop that low again. My feelings must be some kind of a teenage thing... But I thought I was more mature than that.'_

"Seto?" said a quiet, somewhat scared sounding voice.

Kaiba sighed with annoyance. "Mokuba, I told you to leave me alone!" he yelled.

"Sorry," Mokuba said, sticking his head into the room, "I didn't mean to disturb you. I just wanted to know if I could go to a friend's."

"I suppose you want to get away from me. Am I right?"

"No, not at all! So may I, Seto?"

"Sure..."

* * *

_'I've got to talk to Serenity!'_ Mokuba thought worriedly. _'But where could she be? I don't know where to find her.'_ He looked around, wondering how he could ever find Serenity.

It took him quite a while, but Mokuba finally thought of something. He hurried in the direction of the Game Shop, where Yugi Muto would most likely be, hoping that he would know where to find Serenity.

* * *

"Coming!" Serenity Wheeler called as she rushed to answer the door to her apartment. When she opened it, she was surprised to see who was standing before her.

"Hello, Mokuba."

Sure enough, it was Mokuba, panting from exhaustion. "I ran all the way here," he explained.

"Well, come on in," Serenity offered. "I'll get you a glass of water."

Mokuba followed Serenity inside. It was a small, but quaint apartment room. It was decorated prettily and Mokuba found it to be very fitting to Serenity. She motioned for him to have a seat at their kitchen table. She then handed him a glass of water and sat across from him. "So," she said, "what's going on?"

Mokuba gulped down the entire glass of water thirstily before answering. "It's about Seto," he finally replied.

"I see," Serenity said. "Is he ok?"

Mokuba shook his head. "I don't think so, Serenity."

"What's the matter?"

"He's mad..._really_ mad. Seto figured out that I wrote those love notes. Oh! You didn't know that, did you?"

Serenity laughed as she got up from the table. Seeing that Mokuba was still thirsty, she refilled his glass of water. "Yes," she said, smiling, "I knew that. Seto told me. You want to know what I think?"

"Sure."

Serenity placed her hand on Mokuba's head and ruffled his hair. "I think it was a very cute idea."

"Really? Thanks, Serenity!" Mokuba told her happily. Yes, she was perfect for his brother, he could already tell.

"So continue with your story," Serenity said, sitting back down at the table.

"I don't really know why, but I think he's mad at you too," Mokuba went on. "Seto said that he never wanted to see or talk to you again."

That shocked Serenity. "Why?" she asked.

Mokuba shrugged. "I don't know. He just said he had his reasons. Anyway, when I asked him what you guys did last night, he wouldn't tell me. Could you?"

"Yes. Seto and I went on a date. Fist we had dinner together, then we went stargazing." Her face reddened slightly as she added, "It was kind of romantic. Seto almost kissed me."

"He almost kissed you?!" asked Mokuba, stunned.

Serenity nodded. "That's right. But, for some reason, he didn't. I don't understand what went wrong last night."

"I can tell you what happened," Mokuba said, becoming somewhat angry. "My brother's just too scared to do anything, that's what!"

"You think?" Serenity questioned. "Seto doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would be like that though."

Mokuba grinned. "I've got a plan. Do you like my brother, Serenity?"

"You mean, like, for a friend?"

"No," Mokuba told her, shaking his head. "For more than that."

"To be perfectly honest... No. I don't like him in that way."

"Oh," Mokuba said, extremely disappointed. "If you don't like him, then why are you so nice to him? And why did you go on a date with him?"

"I figured that Seto needed a friend, that's why I was being nice to him," answered Serenity. "As for the date, I went on it to please you, Mokuba."

There was a moment of silence, when finally, Mokuba broke it.

"My plan," he explained, "was for you and Seto to meet at the market this evening. We're kind of running out of stuff, so I could send him there, and you could be there too, pretending to be browsing. I know you don't like him, but do you think you could go anyway so you could make up with him? I don't want Seto to be mad at you when he's got nothing to be mad at."

Serenity thought about it. "Sure," she said, "I'll go."

Mokuba smiled with pleasure. "Great!" he exclaimed. "But... um... Serenity?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think you could give Seto a chance? He's not really that bad. Please, Serenity, please?" 

Obviously, Mokuba really wanted her to be his brother's girlfriend. Serenity sighed, and then said, a bit reluctantly, "We'll see."

"Ok!" Mokuba exclaimed. "Be at the market around 4:00. I gotta go now." He went to the door and opened it. As he was headed out, he turned back to Serenity, smiling. "See ya, Serenity!

* * *

Kaiba pulled a list of things to buy out of his pocket. He checked off everything he'd gotten. That was it. He had purchased everything and was ready to go.

"Hello, Seto!" someone called.

It was Serenity. She placed a hand on his shoulder, beaming at him. "What a pleasant surprise! What are you doing here?" 

Kaiba grabbed Serenity's hand, removing it from his shoulder. "You should have learned last night that I don't want to be touched," he told her. "Also, I want you to refer to me as Kaiba."

"Right," said Serenity quietly. "Sorry."

"Do me a favor, Serenity."

"Sure!"

After she told Kaiba she'd do him a favor, Serenity regretted it. Kaiba was giving that same piercing look he'd given her the day before.

"What I want you to do... Well, how about this? Get away from me!"

Serenity gaped at him. _'How cold,'_ she thought. _'This has to be the Seto Kaiba that Joey sees.'_

"What are you waiting for?" Kaiba asked, growing impatient. "Get going."

"Why are you mad at me, Set... I mean, Kaiba?"

Kaiba grunted. "I'm not mad at you." In reality, he was mad at himself, but he wouldn't dare tell Serenity that. "Just go now!"

"Ok, Kaiba."

Kaiba slowly began to head back to his mansion. After a while, he glanced back, only to find that Serenity was following him. She quickly hid, hoping he hadn't seen her. Kaiba chuckled. She was clever, but not clever enough for Seto Kaiba. As he continued on his way, he watched Serenity out of the corner of his eye, waiting for the perfect moment. It finally came when Serenity spotted a friend from school and stopped to have a quick chat with her.

After a minute or two of talking, Serenity felt a raindrop hit her. She looked up at the dark sky. _'Oh my_!' she thought. _'I forgot about Seto!'_ "Sorry," she told her friend, "but I have to go. It's going to rain, plus I've got some really important things to do."

It didn't take long for the light drizzle to turn into a harsh, heavy rain. Serenity was soaked, and was running through the market, searching desperately for Seto and for a place to shelter her from the rain. Neither was anywhere in sight, when suddenly...

"Serenity, over here!"

She turned to where she'd heard the sound. It was Kaiba, who stood under the overhang of a deserted building. She hurried over to him.

"Thanks, Seto!" she exclaimed, grateful to be out of the rain.

"It's Kaiba," he corrected Serenity.

"Oh, that's right. I keep forgetting."

"Whatever," Kaiba said as he jammed his hands into his pockets angrily. "Just make sure to keep a good distance a way from me."

It was oddly quiet from then on. Seto didn't speak to Serenity, nor did she speak to him. Then, a loud boom of thunder sounded, causing Serenity to jump. Kaiba glanced over at her.

"What?" he asked. "Are you afraid of thunder?"

"No," Serenity replied. "It just startled me, that's all. You see, I was watching the weather forecast earlier today. It wasn't supposed to rain, let alone storm."

"Humph. You shouldn't listen to that junk. They never get anything right."

Another long silence. All the while, Kaiba was watching Serenity. As thunder and lightning continued to crash, she was trembling.

"Tell me the truth," he demanded. "Are you afraid?"

Serenity looked to him, unsure if she should answer his question or not. She thought for a moment. "Yes," she finally admitted. "I'll bet you think it's silly for a girl my age to be afraid of thunder and lightning."

"No, I don't."

_'That was sweet,'_ Serenity thought. At that moment, lightning lit up the entire sky and was followed by devastating thunder. She let out a quiet whimper, even more frightened than before.

"Come here," Kaiba said softly.

Serenity cautiously approached him, wondering what Kaiba could possibly want from her.

Kaiba wrapped his arms around Serenity's waist and pulled her close to him, hugging her tightly. "Don't be afraid," he whispered.

To Serenity, there seemed to be two sides to Kaiba; his bitter side, which everyone had seen often, and this side: the kind and sweet side.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," Kaiba assured her. "I'm here for you."

Serenity smiled. She felt better in Kaiba's arms. "You know," she said, "Joey holds me like this." 

"Yeah, I know. I saw you two at the park the other day. You really love him, don't you?"

"Yes, Seto, I love him _so_ much. Joey's the best. He's told me so many things about you. They haven't been very good though. He says you're heartless and tells me about how you're always making fun of him. I heard you telling him mean things at the park when we all decided to have a dueling tournament. You don't really think my brother's a dog, do you?" 

Kaiba looked into Serenity's eyes. She was too beautiful, sweet, and innocent to harm. "No," he said. "I don't think that of Joey." 

"Then why do you treat him so badly?" Serenity questioned.

Kaiba avoided the question by beginning to gently stroke Serenity's hair.

Serenity realized that Kaiba wasn't going to answer, so continued talking to him. "I've always been afraid of storms," she explained. "When I was a little kid, and Joey and I still lived together, he would hold me like this to comfort me during storms. But I could tell that Joey was actually scared himself. When the family split up, I had no one to turn to. Mother thinks it's silly for me to be afraid. I guess the fact that I never had anyone there for me was why I never conquered my fear."

Kaiba smiled. "Don't you worry about a thing," he said. "I'll help you."

"Thank you," Serenity whispered.

After a long while, the storm began to calm down.

"The thunder and lighting has stopped," Kaiba pointed out.

Serenity watched as rain continued to fall. "So it has," she said. She hadn't noticed that before. "It's still raining kind of hard though."

Kaiba nodded in agreement.

"So you don't have to hold me anymore."

"No," Kaiba said, "I don't have to, but I want to."

Serenity looked up to him in surprise. She hadn't expected him to say that.

Suddenly, it was like that awkward moment that had occurred last night. Yet there was something different about it this time. It wasn't awkward anymore; instead, it felt right...

Unconsciously, Kaiba gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.

Serenity's eyes widened as she stared at him in astonishment. "You kissed me..."

Kaiba thought for a moment. That was right. He had kissed her. He pushed Serenity away from him. "I'm sorry!" he exclaimed, bowing to her.

"What for?"

"For everything! My actions today have been inexcusable! First I held you, then I kissed you; it just wasn't right. I'm so, so sorry." He bowed to her again.

"Kaiba," Serenity said, "you have nothing to be sorry about."

"How can you say that?! You know very well that what I did was wrong. Serenity, never let me do things like that to you. If I ever try to do something, just tell me to stop. I'm really sorry, Serenity. I hope you can understand. I guess I just couldn't control myself. I think it's hormones, you know?"

"No," Serenity told Kaiba, "I _don't _know. You blame your actions on hormones, which would normally be reasonable for someone your age, but I think that you and I both know that that's not the reason. I believe that, deep down inside your heart, there's more to it than that...much more."

Kaiba didn't reply.

"Look, the rain's lightened up a little. I suppose I'd better go now. I just wish I had an umbrella. I guess it doesn't matter though. I'm already soaked anyway." Serenity smiled, then gave Kaiba a quick kiss on the cheek. "Sayonara, Seto."

Kaiba placed a hand on his cheek. He was too love struck to say anything.

Serenity headed on her way home. She giggled, thinking about how this had really been a plan of Mokuba's. Plus, that love struck look on Kaiba's face had been priceless!

"Wait!" Kaiba suddenly called after her.

Serenity went back to Kaiba. "Yes?" she asked.

"Serenity," he began, his face red with embarrassment, "I was wondering if you might want to... uh... Maybe... Well, go on a... um... Never mind."

She grinned. "Seto, did you just try to ask me for a date?

Kaiba's face became even redder. "No! I had no intention of doing that," he fibbed.

Serenity gave him a suspicious look.

"Yeah, I tried," Kaiba said, seeing that Serenity knew he'd lied.

"I'll go out with you," Serenity replied sweetly. "Just tell me where and when."

"I think I've figured out when," Kaiba said. "I've got some important work to do at Kaiba Corporation, so it will be a while before I've got some free time. Our date will have to been in a week or so. But I don't know what we should do."

Serenity laughed. "You ask me for a date and don't even know what you want to do? Well, I've got an idea. We'll meet at the park and go from there, ok?" 

"That's fine, Serenity."

* * *

As Serenity slowly walked home in the light rain, there were many thoughts going through her mind. She thought about how she'd told Mokuba that she didn't like Seto. That had been true then, but it was different now. She liked him. She really liked him. However, there was one thing that bothered her: Kaiba's harsh side.

_'Seto has to be like that for a reason,'_ she thought to herself. _'Well, I won't stand for it. I guess it's up to me to bring out the best in him! I'll make it my duty to melt his cold heart. Yes, that's what I'll do!'_


	6. Captive

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 6: Captive

Serenity Wheeler smiled as she sat down on a bench in the park. A week had finally passed, and today was the day that she'd be going on a date with Seto Kaiba. She glanced down at the watch she was wearing. 11:40.

_'Twenty minutes till noon. I'm awfully early,'_ Serenity thought. Then, she shrugged. _'Oh well. It doesn't matter. I can wait for twenty minutes. I just can't believe I'm actually doing this. A date with Seto Kaiba... What in the world would Joey say if he found out?'_

Serenity looked to the Sakura tree that she and Kaiba had sat under together that fateful day when they were supposed to meet their "secret admirers". There was a man standing there, carving something into it. She watched with curiosity, trying to see what he was carving. Soon enough, he stepped away. This revealed his work, and Serenity could not believe what he had carved.

"SETO x SERENITY." That's what it said. There was a heart around the words. Serenity stared at the man, unable to understand what was going on.

He was very mysterious, dressed in a black suit and wearing sunglasses. He was a muscular man who was middle aged and had black hair. He approached Serenity. "Hello there," he said. "You must be Serenity Wheeler."

There was something in his tone of voice that she didn't trust. However, Serenity nodded.

"I've heard so much about you, Serenity"

"Who are you?!" Serenity blurted out. "How did you know about Seto and me?"

The man removed his sunglasses. His eyes were a dark, almost black color. He smiled at her.

Just like his voice, Serenity knew she couldn't trust that smile. It was fake, it was corrupt...

"If you come with me, I'll explain everything to you," he told her.

Serenity shook her head. "No," she said firmly.

"I know you've got a lot of questions that you want to be answered. Come with me and I'll explain."

"No!"

"Don't resist, Missy," the man said angrily. "You'll regret it."

"I can if I want to," Serenity said. "Do what you want, but I'm not going with you."

"I don't want to do this the hard way," he said.

The man pulled out a gun. At first, Serenity thought it was a joke. The gun wasn't real and he wasn't really going to do anything to her. However, she soon caught the seriousness in his dark eyes. Everything was real alright. "Why are you doing this?" she questioned.

"I'm merely doing what I have to. Come with me, you stubborn girl, or else."

Serenity looked around desperately. There was no one in sight. Where was Seto and why was the park so empty today?

The man pointed the gun at Serenity and placed his finger on the trigger. "Are you coming or not?"

"Please don't hurt me," Serenity pleaded as her eyes widened in fear.

"I won't have to if you would just come along. Trust me, Miss, you're coming, whether you want to or not!" He headed behind the bench, then hit Serenity on the back of the head, knocking her unconscious. He didn't want to kill her, not yet...

Meanwhile...

Seto stared into the mirror, uncertain as to if he liked what he saw. He was wearing a fancy suit and tie. He figured that was the proper way to dress for a date. "No," he said, shaking his head. "What am I doing? I can't believe I got myself into such a mess."

"Hey, big brother," Mokuba said as he walked by, "you're dressed nicely. What for?"

Kaiba sighed. "Nothing. There's nothing going on, no special occasion, no reason for me to be wearing something like this." He reached into his closet and began to search for something else to put on.

"Then why are you wearing that?" Mokuba asked.

"I don't know," Kaiba said, still rummaging through his closet.

"Did you just want to see if it still fit?"

"No."

"Don't lie. I know there's something you're keeping from me."

"Mokuba, it's none of your business," said Kaiba.

"It has something to do with Serenity, doesn't it?" Mokuba asked.

Aggravated, Kaiba turned to his brother and glared at him. "Stop bugging me!" he yelled. "I've already told you once, and I shouldn't have to tell you again. It's none of your business."

"But Seto," Mokuba whined.

"Fine! You really want to know?! I'll tell you!" Suddenly, Kaiba's rage vanished. He then seated himself in a nearby chair and buried his face into his hands. After a few minutes, he raised his head and explained quietly, "I have a date with Serenity at noon, but I'm not going."

Confused, Mokuba asked, "Why not?"

"Because... Because I just can't. It isn't right. I just can't..." His voice trailed off.

Mokuba walked over to his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Listen, Seto," he said. "It's great that you're supposed to go on a date with her, but I'm kinda worried. You've been acting as if liking Serenity is wrong. Well, let me tell you, it isn't. It's perfectly fine. I wish you could see that. I think you should go on that date! But first, go buy her something nice. Girls like that."

"You really think it's ok, Mokuba?"

"Sure!"

* * *

Serenity had said that she'd meet him at the bench by the Sakura tree. Kaiba stood, pondering where she could be. She wasn't on the bench and wasn't sitting under the tree. He waited for a while, then went to the bench and sat on it. He laid his gift for Serenity beside him.

Kaiba had bought a dozen red roses. Yes, it had been very expensive, but that didn't matter; Serenity deserved only the best.

After nearly an hour of waiting, Kaiba headed back to Kaiba Corp., feeling both downhearted and disgusted.

* * *

Serenity's eyes slowly fluttered open. She found herself to be lying on a comfy bed inside a very homely place much like her own apartment. She let out a sigh of relief.

"How are you feeling?" asked a deep, unfamiliar voice.

Serenity gasped upon seeing a man appear beside her bed. It wasn't the same man as before. This person was wearing a kind smile and had a sincere look about him. He was young, about the age of 25. He was thin, with honey-colored hair and emerald eyes. Somehow, he reminded her of Seto.

"I'm fine, thank you," Serenity replied.

"Are you sure?"

Serenity sat up then rubbed the back of her head. "Actually," she said, "my head hurts. I think that guy hit me with his gun. Speaking of which, do you know what happened to him? Did you...save me?"

"You could say that," he said, winking at her.

"Wow! Thanks!" Serenity exclaimed happily.

The man's kindheartedness and sincerity began disappear. "You shouldn't thank me too much," he told her. "All I did was stop the bleeding."

A couple of other men then entered the room, one which she recognized. It was the man from before. The one who had pointed the gun at her...

Serenity looked to the "kind" man in despair. Her eyes began to fill with tears, but she quickly wiped them away. He wasn't really kind, and he hadn't really saved her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Aw, don't cry, Serenity," said the man from earlier. "My buddies and I were just about to explain everything. But before we do that, you deserve a proper introduction. The name's Ryo. I believe you've already met honey-boy here." Ryo placed a hand on the younger man's head and laughed. "Just call him Rodger. He moved here from America a few years ago."

The third man, who she had never seen before, was stocky, grey-haired, and balding; obviously at lot older than the other two. "I'm Takashi," he told her simply.

"Anyway," Ryo went on, "you're probably anxious to know what this is all about."

Serenity nodded.

"We all work at Kaiba Corp.," said Rodger softly.

Serenity stared at all of them in disbelief.

"Mr. Kaiba talks to himself often," Takashi told her. He chuckled. "We've heard him before, muttering little things to himself. None of us really ever paid attention. Recently, however, I came to overhear something about a girl: Serenity Wheeler. The name's escaped his lips plenty of times during this last week."

"That's right," agreed Ryo. "You're on his mind 24 hours a day!"

"That's not good for Kaiba Corp.," Rodger added.

"Of course it's not good for the company, honey-boy!" Ryo yelled. "You see, Serenity, because you've been on his mind so much, Kaiba hasn't been getting his work done. Without Seto Kaiba's work, what is Kaiba Corporation? Not much, I'll tell you that."

"It's as if we've taken a week's worth of important work and thrown it out the window! Mr. Kaiba is the CEO of Kaiba Corp., and without his work, we're done for," Takashi said angrily.

"If this keeps up, Kaiba Corp. is going to meet its downfall in no time at all," Rodger explained. "We don't want that to happen, so we figured that we had to get our biggest threat out of the way."

"And what would that be?" Serenity asked.

"Don't play dumb!" Takashi shouted.

"What have we been talking about this whole time? Kaiba Corp.'s biggest threat is _you,"_ Ryo told her.

Serenity's heart began to pound. Where were Seto and Joey when she needed them?

"In fact," Rodger said, "Kaiba decided to take time off from work just so he could see you today. He really shouldn't be allowed to do that."

"Darn right he shouldn't," Takashi said. "Do you see now why you're our biggest threat? As long as Kaiba continues to slack off from work just because of you, Kaiba Corp. is going to fall. You, Serenity Wheeler, will cause the downfall of Kaiba Corporation!"


	7. Witness

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 7: Witness

4:30, Sunday evening. Joey Wheeler reached for the phone and dialed his little sister's number. He was surprised when his mother answered the phone.

"Hey Mom," he said.

"Hello, Joseph," was the reply. His mother's voice was shaky. It almost seemed as though she was afraid to talk to him.

"I gotta talk to Serenity."

There was a bit of a pause. "Serenity isn't here, Joseph. I thought she might be with you."

"No, she's not with me, and if she's not with you, then where is she?"

"I don't know. She left hours ago, but never came home. Poor girl, where could she be? We've got to find her."

"Don't worry, Mom! I'm on it! Bye!" With that, he hung up the phone. _'Serenity was always there for me,'_ he thought_. 'In Duelist Kingdom, she gave me something to duel for. In Battle City, she was there to cheer me on. She even saved me from drowning! It's my turn to be there for her. Serenity needs me! I wonder if Tristan knows where she is.'_ Joey quickly dialed Tristan Taylor's number.

"Hi there, Tristan! It's me, Joey!" he exclaimed.

"Who? I don't know anybody named Joey," Tristan answered sarcastically.

"C'mon, Tristan! This isn't the time for jokes! This is really important!"

"Hmm?" 

"Serenity is missing!"

"No way! This is terrible," Tristan said in disbelief.

"You don't know where she is, do ya?"

"Nope, but I think I know someone who might." 

"Who?" Joey asked.

"Duke Devlin," Tristan replied. "He kinda likes Serenity you know. She could be hanging out with him or something."

"Good idea. You call him for me." Without even saying goodbye, Joey hung up the phone. He then called Yugi and Tea, who didn't know anything about Serenity's disappearance either. Bakura Ryou wasn't home, leaving him with only one more person that he could think of...

"Hey, uh... Mai?"

"Hi there, sweetheart. What's up?" Mai replied sweetly.

"Sorry, Mai, but I don't have much time to talk. My little sister's missing!"

"And I suppose you want me to tell you where she is."

"That'd be nice," said Joey hopefully.

"Well, I don't know, but as I was cruising around in my car today, I saw her headed for the park. That was around noon."

"The park, huh? Hey, do you think you could swing by and pick me up?" 

"What for?" Mai questioned.

"We're going to the park!" 

"On a date?"

"No, to look for Serenity!"

* * *

Joey and Mai sat down at a picnic table together. They had searched the entire park, Serenity being no where in sight. Joey felt miserable. He sighed and hung his head.

"Cheer up, Joey," Mai told him tenderly. "We're going to find her, you'll see. I'm going to call everyone and have them come here. Maybe if we all work together, we can find her."

Joey simply nodded.

"I don't know their numbers," Mai said. "Tell me."

Joey recited all of his friend's phone numbers.

Mai took out a cell phone from her purse and began to dial Yugi's number, but suddenly stopped. "Joey! Look!" she gasped, pointing at a nearby Sakura tree.

"Why should I waste my time looking at a stupid tree?" Joey asked sadly. "I've got more important things to do, like trying to find my sister. I don't have time for trees." 

"Joey, this is no time to be stubborn! I think this may help us find Serenity!"

He looked to the tree, seeing "SETO x SERENITY" carved into it. He made a fist and pounded on the table, his face becoming red with rage. "Damn him! I'll bet you anything Kaiba has her!" he shouted. He then stood and began to run.

"What are you doing?" Mai called after him.

"I'm goin' to Kaiba Corp.!" Joey answered, looking back. "You call the others! I'll be back!" He gave her a quick wink then continued on his way.

* * *

The door to Seto Kaiba's office suddenly burst open. Joey Wheeler was standing there, growling. Kaiba laughed at him. "We don't allow dogs in the building," he said, "so go bury a bone or something."

"Where's my sister?!" Joey yelled.

Kaiba shrugged. "How should I know?"

"Well, then how do you explain the little heart on the Sakura tree, huh?"

"What are you talking about?" Kaiba asked.

Joey glared at him. "You know, it's the little heart carved into the Sakura tree in the park that says 'Seto x Serenity' inside."

Kaiba looked at him quizzically. "Who carved it?"

"You did!"

"No I didn't, and I don't think it could've been Serenity either."

Joey walked up to Kaiba's desk and shook a fist in his rival's face. "Listen, you creep, Serenity's missing, and I know you've got something to do with it."

"Serenity is missing?" asked Kaiba, seeming shocked and concerned.

"You're a pretty good actor," Joey pointed out, "but you're fake emotions ain't gonna get past Joey Wheeler!"

"Joey, I don't have her, and I really am worried about her," Kaiba told him firmly. "We were supposed to meet at the park today at noon, but she never showed up."

"What in the hell were you meeting Serenity at the park for?!" 

Kaiba closed his eyes and shook his head. "It's too complicated for your little doggy brain," he explained.

"Shut up!" Joey shouted. "I don't know what exactly you were doing with my sister, but you're coming with me, Mr. Moneybags. You're going to help me find Serenity!"

* * *

Ryo and Takashi had gone to the bar, leaving Serenity Wheeler alone with Rodger. They were sitting on the bed and it had been so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Finally, Serenity decided to open up to him.

"Do you live here?" she asked.

"No," Rodger replied simply.

"Where exactly are we?" 

"We're in that old downtown apartment building. Takashi owns this place. He and Ryo are the only ones who live here. Takashi won't let anyone else in."

"Well, that's not good. There are a lot of people out there who could use a home. What do you think, Rod?" She paused. "You don't mind me calling you Rod, do you?"

"No, I don't mind. Anything's better than 'honey-boy'."

"Why do they call you that?"

"Well," Rodger said, "because of my hair color. Plus, Ryo and Takashi both say that I'm as sweet as honey. Put those two together and you get honey-boy."

"I thought you were sweet when I first met you," Serenity told him, "but when I found out that you were working with Ryo, I just couldn't believe it. You looked so sincere and kind."

"I really am sorry," Rodger whispered.

"There's a big age difference between you and your friends, isn't there?"

"Yeah. I tend to think of Ryo as an older brother and Takashi as my father. You see, I don't have anyone else. My family is back in America and I don't get to talk to them much."

"That's too bad, but... um... Rod, are you planning on... well... killing me?"

It was quiet for a moment as Rodger gaped at her. Finally, he answered, "No, I'm not going to. I wouldn't even think about doing something like that to a girl like you. Takashi and Ryo want to, I guess."

Serenity smiled. "I can see already that you're not like them," she said. "You really are as sweet as honey. You don't want to go through with this, do you?"

"I don't know. I think you're innocent, Serenity. The way Kaiba acted wasn't your fault. However, it's true that Kaiba Corp. will fall without his work, so their plan does make sense." 

"When you say 'their plan', do you mean to say that you didn't help come up with it?" she asked.

"That's right," Rodger told her. "Takashi made the original plan, then presented it to Ryo, who helped work out some of the problems with it. They pulled me into it because they said that they needed me. They told me that we could be the 'dynamic three'. With Takashi's brains, Ryo's brawn, and my charisma, it would be perfect."

Serenity felt sorry for him. "That's sad. They're just using you because you're sweet."

"They're not using me..."

Serenity sighed. "Rod, my head hurts," she complained.

Rodger hung his head. "I'm terribly sorry that Ryo had to hurt you," he told her, feeling guilty. "I hoped he wouldn't have to go that far in order to get you to come. He hit you so hard too. You were bleeding a great deal when he brought you here."

"He hit me that hard?" Serenity asked, unable to believe it.

"Yes," Rodger answered, "but I guess Ryo had to. Otherwise, it wouldn't have knocked you out. Speaking of Ryo, this part of the apartment belongs to him. I believe he's got some kind of medicine around here." He got up from the bed and began to search for something to help Serenity.

"Here it is!" he declared upon finding something. He got Serenity a glass of water and handed her a couple of small pills. "It's nothing special," he explained. "Over-the-counter stuff. It's supposed to relieve pain. It'll probably make you drowsy though."

Serenity thanked him, and then took the medicine. It didn't take long for its effects to begin. She yawned, laying back in the bed, and shut her eyes. Soon, she drifted off to sleep.

Rodger stared at her. Serenity was so peaceful and beautiful, like an angel. Though he tried to restrain it, he couldn't fight his longing...

* * *

There was something on top of her, something touching her...kissing her. Seto maybe. But it couldn't be. The last thing that Serenity remembered was taking those pills from... Rodger. Her eyes shot open. Yes, it was "honey-boy", undressed, giving her forceful kisses and slowly unbuttoning her shirt. Serenity struggled to get out from under him. When at last she did, her shirt was all the way unbuttoned and he had almost removed it.

"I hate you!" she yelled as tears streamed down her cheeks. "You're not sweet at all! You were planning this all along, weren't you?! You're just as sinister and conniving as those other two!" She sat up and quickly buttoned her shirt.

Rodger took his hand and placed it on his Serenity's cheek, smiling. He then wiped the tears from her eyes. "I didn't think such a sweet girl like you could be capable of hatred," he said.

"Well, I suppose I don't really hate you, but... but..." Her voice trailed off.

He licked her cheek. Serenity, being extremely uncomfortable and frightened, let out a quiet whimper. "Don't," she said softly.

"Serenity, don't be afraid," Rodger whispered. "I'm not going to hurt you." He stopped to give her a kiss on the lips then continued, "Please just do this willingly. At least give me a kiss. You can pretend that I'm Kaiba..."

Rodger gave her another kiss on the lips, and Serenity reluctantly kissed back. She thought that it would be over with just one kiss, but Rodger put his hands behind her head and pushed it forward, causing Serenity immense pain, yet making sure that their lips remained locked.

* * *

All seven of them, Yugi, Joey, Tea, Duke, Tristan, Mai, and Kaiba, were sitting in a circle on the ground, trying to figure out how to find Serenity.

Bakura Ryou suddenly appeared, limping slightly. He headed over to the circle. "Hello there," he said cheerfully. "I got Mai's message and came here as fast I could. I hope I'm not too late."

"You're not late at all, Bakura," Yugi told him. "It's good to see you."

"Hey, what happened to ya, Bakura?" Joey asked. "Why were you limping?"

Kaiba glared at Joey. "Isn't it obvious, Wheeler? Take a look at his leg!"

Joey, along with the others, looked. Bakura's jeans were torn and blood soaked around the knee area.

Bakura let out a nervous laugh. "Well," he said, "it's nothing to have a fuss over. I just had a bit of an accident you see."

"How'd you do it?" Tea questioned.

"Really, guys, it's not that bad," Bakura told them, "especially compared to what happened to that girl..."

"What girl?" Duke asked curiously.

-----FLASHBACK-----

_Bakura Ryou was walking through the downtown streets with his hands in his pockets, humming a tune to himself. It was oddly empty; there was nobody around and no one driving by. But that didn't matter. It actually made it quite peaceful._

_Suddenly, he heard footsteps, quick and heavy. Someone was running toward him. A man appeared, carrying a girl in his arms. He obviously wasn't watching where he was going, for in an instant, he collided with Bakura. They both fell to the ground, Bakura having scraped his knee._

_The girl was in his lap. He took her head in his hands and raised it. She was out cold. His hands became wet with a thick liquid and he let go to look at them. Blood. "Great Scott!" he exclaimed. "She's dead!" Bakura pushed the limp body off of him._

_"She's not dead," the man explained. "She's just hurt her head, that's all. I'm really worried though. I think she may have had a concussion. But I'm on my way to the hospital now." The man took the girl in his arms and hurried on his way._

_'How strange,' Bakura thought. 'I just hope everything turns out ok.'_

-----END FLASHBACK-----

They made room for Bakura and he joined the circle. Then, he told everyone his story.

"Did that girl look anything like Serenity?" Mai asked him.

It was a strange question to Bakura. "Why?" he asked.

"Just wondering."

Bakura closed his eyes, thinking. "Yes," he replied then, "I guess she sort of did."

Tea gasped. Yugi gave her a couple pats on the back, telling her that everything would be alright.

"What is it?" Bakura questioned, confused.

"Bakura, we're having this meeting because Serenity is missing," Tristan explained. "That girl you saw could've been her."

"Oh dear," Bakura said guiltily. "I think it was, and I did nothing about it!" He began to apologize over and over, telling everyone how sorry he was for not recognizing her and for not helping.

"Quit your whining, Ryou!" Kaiba told him harshly. "I want you to tell me what this man looked like."

"Well, he was a big guy," Bakura told him timidly. "Uh... Muscular I mean. He was wearing a black suit and sunglasses. Um... He had dark hair."

"A big guy in a suit, huh? Well, that's all I need," Kaiba said, standing. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some business to take care of."

"What about my sister?!" Joey asked angrily.

"That's what I'm going to take care of," Kaiba explained. He slowly began to walk away.

"Where are you going, Kaiba?" Yugi questioned.

"I know who has Serenity," Kaiba told Yugi without stopping. "I'm going to save her."


	8. The Rescue

Chapter 8: The Rescue

Serenity lay in bed, her eyes wide as she stared at the ceiling. Her rendezvous with Rodger had left her in a state of shock and devastation. She had many red marks on her neck and was wearing nothing but her underclothes.

Rodger watched with concern. The look about Serenity suggested that her mind was elsewhere. She wasn't really staring at the ceiling, he could tell, but was instead staring off into space. Yes, her mind was definitely elsewhere.

Those horrible moments with him were stuck in her mind. Serenity tried to keep them out, but her memories were too vivid to push away.

-----FLASHBACK-----

_"Please just do this willingly. At least give me a kiss. You can pretend that I'm Kaiba..."_

_Rodger gave her a kiss on the lips, and Serenity reluctantly kissed back. She thought that it would be over with just one kiss, but Rodger put his hands behind her head and pushed it forward, causing Serenity immense pain, yet making sure that their lips remained locked._

_He continued his kisses, and Serenity kept returning them. Kiss after kiss after kiss... It seemed as though it would never end. Serenity felt like she was trapped._

_After a while, Rodger removed his hands from behind her head. He even stopped kissing her. However, to Serenity's dismay, it was only so he could whisper, "Don't stop."_

_His hands made their way to Serenity's shirt and he began to unbutton it. All the while that he was working with her shirt, his eyes were closed and he went on kissing her._

_Serenity did not resist him. She knew that if she did, Rodger would just force her into it, which would only make things worse. So, she kept kissing him and allowed him to unbutton her shirt._

_When Rodger had removed Serenity's shirt, he stopped his kisses and stood. "Stand up," he said to her, "and take off your pants."_

_Serenity did as she was told. Her face reddened with embarrassment and tears poured from her eyes. Her heart pounded as Rodger touched her. Despite it all, Serenity didn't say a word. Touching, kissing, licking... Would this moment ever end?_

_A thought suddenly entered her mind. Everyone had always thought she was innocent. What would people say if they found out about this? Rodger was naked and she almost was also. This wasn't innocence. What would her mother and Joey think? And Seto? Would they understand?_

_The tears came harder. Rodger took Serenity and pulled her close to him. She laid her head on his chest, sobbing. "It will all be over soon," he assured her. "Just a few more kisses."_

-----END FLASHBACK-----

The door suddenly flew open, and Ryo and Takashi stumbled in. Ryo sat on the bed, while Takashi fell back into a nearby chair. Their faces were a lush red; they'd obviously been drinking.

"You two kiddies look like you've been having fun," Takashi said, his words slurred.

Serenity looked over to Rodger, who was now dressed. He nodded in answer to Takashi's question.

There was a long moment of silence, then Takashi said, "You know, Sincerity, I know just what to do with you."

Sincerity?

Takashi managed to get up from the chair. He removed his belt. Using it like a whip, he began hitting Serenity's legs. As he did so, he laughed maniacally.

Ryo watched with interest, wearing a silly grin. He soon got up and removed his own belt and began to whip Serenity as well.

It went on for a long time, until Serenity's legs were bleeding. Who knew belts could do so much damage? Takashi then demanded that she sit up and turn her back to him.

Serenity obeyed.

Ryo and Takashi did the same to Serenity's back that they had done to her legs. They were going berserk and the whipping went on and on.

"That's enough!" Rodger finally shouted, finally stopping Ryo and Takashi from whipping Serenity. He then left the room, but soon returned, carrying the last two cans of beer left in the apartment. "Here," he said, "take this."

Takashi and Ryo both accepted it gratefully and immediately began drinking.

Rodger disappeared again, this time returning with several bandages. He tended to the cuts on Serenity's legs and back. Then he picked up Serenity's shirt and pants and clothed her.

Serenity was obviously in pain and also exhausted. The exhaustion, Rodger figured, had come from trying so hard to endure the days events. The whipping had been the last that she could take.

He took her in his arms and carried her to another room of the apartment, laying her on a soft bed and tucking her in. He locked the door, not wanting his drunken friends to hurt Serenity again. Rodger then climbed into the bed as well, smiling.

"No," Serenity pleaded.

"Serenity, I can see that you're afraid of me," Rodger said, "but don't be. I'm not going to hurt you and I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to. I want you to rest."

Serenity sighed with relief. Rest. That was just what she needed. She closed her eyes.

Rodger snuggled up close to her. He gently stroked her cheek then asked softly, "Are you comfortable?"

Serenity didn't answer.

"I hope so," Rodger continued. "You deserve to get away from this situation for a while."

As she lay there, Serenity didn't mind Rodger stroking her cheek. He had a gentle touch, which, in fact, soothed her. Even his occasional kisses on her cheek didn't bother her. Finally, she was able to escape reality by being engulfed within a pleasant dream.

* * *

"His name is Ryo Matsuya," Seto Kaiba explained to everyone. "He's an employee of mine. Ryo didn't show up at Kaiba Corporation today, which I thought was kind of strange because he didn't call and inform me of his absence or give me an excuse. Plus, Bakura's description fit him perfectly. The only problem is I don't know where to find him."

Joey Wheeler placed his hands on Kaiba's shoulders and began to shake him violently. "Don't give me none of that, Kaiba!" he shouted. "You just gotta know!"

"Let go of me, dog!"

Joey removed his hands from Kaiba's shoulders.

The two stood there, glowering at each other, ready to start a fight.

"Guys, this isn't the time for fighting," Tea said. "For once in your lives, try to get along. We've all got to work together to find Serenity, and we can't do that if you two won't cooperate. Come on, shake hands or something. "

Kaiba folded his arms and grunted.

"Forget it," Joey said. "Kaiba and I won't be able to get along...ever."

Everyone was silent for a long while. It seemed like hours to them. Kaiba then broke the silence. "I think I know where Ryo might be," he said.

* * *

Kaiba stood in front of the downtown apartment building, his long trench coat flowing gracefully behind him. He let the gentle wind comb his hair for a moment, then entered the building. The others followed him inside.

_'I had better be right about this,'_ he thought as he began to climb one of the many flights of stairs.

Suddenly, he heard a shrill scream.

"That's Serenity!" Joey exclaimed worriedly.

Joey and Kaiba raced up the stairs, getting far ahead of the others. They looked in all of the rooms on the first and second floors, each one of them empty. When on the third floor, they came to a locked door.

Joey banged on it furiously.

"Stop that, you idiot," Kaiba whispered. "Let me take care of this." He cleared his throat then asked, "Ryo?"

"Who is it?" asked a sickly voice. It was Ryo's alright.

"Seto Kaiba."

"Oh, hello, Mr. Kaiba. I'm awfully sorry that I couldn't be at work today. That must be why you're here." Ryo paused, coughing. "Please excuse me. I've got a terrible cold..."

"Actually, Ryo," Kaiba said, fury boiling inside him, "I'm here because you've got something of mine, and I aim to get it back."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Kaiba." 

"Don't play dumb, Ryo! Open this door now, you bastard, before I have to break it down!" Kaiba shouted.

Meanwhile, in the apartment room...

Ryo looked to Takashi and Rodger nervously. "Guys, he's not falling for it," he said.

Serenity desperately tried to get free from the ropes that held her. She was tied to a chair and couldn't even speak; Takashi had his hands over her mouth. Blood was gushing from her left arm, where Ryo had stabbed her with a knife. He still had it at his side, and Rodger had a knife on him as well.

"What are we going to do?" Rodger asked.

"Stab her in the other arm," Takashi commanded.

Rodger stared at the knife he held in his hands.

"What are you waiting for, honey-boy?" Ryo asked. "Hurry up and do it!"

Rodger's hands shook as he inched the knife closer and closer to Serenity. Eventually, he pressed it gently against her arm, but pulled it back. Serenity's eyes were teary and wide with fear. He couldn't bring himself to do it. She had been through enough already.

"Come on now, Rodger," Takashi said. "Don't be a coward. Prove to us that you're a real man."

"I'm so sorry, Serenity," Rodger whispered. "You know I love you, but this is something that I have to do. I hope you will be able to forgive me someday." He gave Serenity a kiss on the forehead, then closed his eyes tightly and forced the knife into her arm.

Serenity's scream seemed to penetrate the barrier of Takashi's hands.

Back outside the room, Kaiba and Joey were throwing themselves at the door. They were soon joined by Duke and Tristan. However, their combined strength wasn't enough. They needed more help.

Joey turned around, finding the rest of the gang behind him. "Come on, Yugi! Give us a hand here! You too, Bakura!"

Mai rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Joey," she said, "do you really think that's going to help?"

"Well, I... uh..."

"Move aside, boys," Mai said, making her way to the door. "Let me show you how it's done." She rummaged through her purse for a moment, and then pulled out a hair pin. "I always keep a few of these handy," she explained, "even if I don't plan on wearing them." She put it into the door's lock and fiddled around with it for a while. Then, she turned and said, "You owe me one, Joey." Smirking, she placed her hand on the door knob and opened the door.

Joey, Kaiba, Tristan, and Duke rushed into the room.

The men looked shocked.

Kaiba wasn't surprised to see Takashi with Ryo. He was well aware of their friendship. What did surprise him was Rodger's presence among them. "Someone call for help," he ordered. "I'll take care of these three."

"What Kaiba means is that _we're_ gonna take care of this," Joey corrected. He looked to Kaiba and added, "You're not gonna this alone. You're out-numbered. Plus, I wanna beat these guys up just as much as you do. Nobody hurts my little sister and gets away with it!"

While Kaiba, Tristan, Duke and Joey were fighting, Tea and Bakura aided to Serenity, who fell into Tea's arms. Mai dialed 911 on her cell phone.

"Seto..." Serenity moaned.

Tea found it hard to believe. Serenity wanted Kaiba?

Everyone watched as the brawl continued. There was plenty of cursing coming from everyone as fists clashed.

"Seto..." Serenity moaned again.

It didn't take long for the boys to figure out that Rodger and Ryo were armed. Ryo was threatening to use his knife, while Rodger simply held his up, hands shaking, obviously unsure if he really wanted to use it or not. Joey and Tristan were giving Takashi a quite a hard time. Still being slightly drunk as well as being somewhat old and out of shape, it didn't take him long to collapse. Unbeknownst to everyone, however, he had a weapon as well...

Takashi pulled out a gun and, without much aim, shot four bullets. After all, how could he aim when there was still a bit of alcohol in his system? One of the bullets completely missed, but two happened to hit Duke in the leg, and the other ricocheted off of something nearby, ending up hitting Tristan in the shoulder.

Duke and Tristan howled with pain.

That was the last straw. Joey couldn't take it anymore. Red faced and filled with rage, he threw furious punches at all of them, not caring that they were armed.

Moments later, it was finally over. The three men lay on the ground, beaten. Joey was hurt and bleeding. Ryo, although he was drunk, had put up a tough fight. But his own wounds weren't his concern at the moment. Joey rushed over to his sister. Kaiba, in a condition similar to Joey's, just stood there, wanting to help Serenity, but couldn't. Not while others were around. He folded his arms and stuck his nose in the air, proud, at least, of winning the fight, but trying to hide his worry for Serenity.

"Seto..."

Tea looked up at Kaiba, noticing his arrogant and snobbish posture. She couldn't understand why Serenity would want him, of all people. Then she considered what could happen if things came to the worst. These could possibly be Serenity's last moments, so Tea figured that she'd better give Serenity what she wanted, no matter what it was.

"Kaiba," she said, "she wants you."

Kaiba slowly headed over to Tea and Serenity and bent down beside them. He ran his fingers through Serenity's hair once, and then looked to Tea questioningly. "May I have her?" he asked.

Tea didn't answer.

"I mean, may I hold her?"

Tea didn't want to let go, but this was what Serenity wanted, wasn't it?

Joey was in total disbelief. _'Why would Serenity want to be with Kaiba?'_ he asked himself. _'Doesn't she love me?'_ Too shocked to say anything, he simply watched as Kaiba took Serenity into his arms.

Tears filled Kaiba eyes, but he wouldn't allow them to fall. Crying wasn't something that Seto Kaiba did, especially in front of anyone. "Serenity," he whispered, "I'm here for you. I'm here..."

Serenity smiled feebly, happy to be in Kaiba's arms. "Seto, I... I..."

Kaiba placed his finger on Serenity's lips. "Shhh... Don't speak. Save your strength," he told her.

Serenity squeezed Kaiba's hand tightly.

"Serenity," Kaiba crooned. He looked over her finely-shaped body, noticing the marks on her neck and the bandages on her legs. He could only imagine what those three had put her through.

Kaiba was repeating her name over and over, still crooning. The way he said it comforted Serenity. Her eyes fell shut.

Suddenly, a few unexpected words escaped Kaiba's mouth. "My girl," he said, not realizing that he'd said it for everyone to hear. "Be strong, sweet Serenity."

Serenity wouldn't let go of his hand. She still held it tightly. Sirens could be heard in the distance as her grip gradually began to loosen. It continued to loosen, until finally, it wasn't there any longer, and Serenity had lost consciousness.


	9. Joey Vs Kaiba: A Brutal Fight

Chapter 9: Joey Vs. Kaiba: A Brutal Fight

"Serenity..."

The name seemed to echo through her mind.

"Serenity..."

Distant, and almost inaudible.

"Serenity..."

Soft and sweet.

"Serenity, wake up, hon."

Serenity Wheeler slowly opened her eyes, finding the kind face of a doctor. He gave her a pleasant smile.

"You've been out for a long time," he said. "It's about time you got up."

Serenity shut her eyes again. She wasn't ready to wake up.

"Come on, Serenity. You've got to stay awake."

The girl opened her eyes again, then struggled to lift herself up into a sitting position.

"That's better," the doctor said. "I can tell that you're not feeling well. Weary, I suppose?"

"Yeah..."

"You lost a lot of blood, Serenity. You're lucky to be alive." He paused. "So, what else are you feeling, hmm?"

Serenity moaned. "My body aches all over."

The doctor frowned, feeling sorry for the poor girl. "Normally, I'd give you something to help with that," he told her, "but you've had quite a bit of medicine already. Injections and things... Any more would be harmful to you. You'll have to wait a while."

She looked at her arms, where the pain was worst. There were stitches in them, but why? What had happened? She couldn't remember. The only thing Serenity remembered was being in Seto Kaiba's arms as he repeated her name over and over; saying it in such a sweet tone that it almost seemed as if he was singing a lullaby to her.

"Is there anything else that I might be able to do for you, dear?" the doctor offered.

If she couldn't have medicine for the unbearable pain, then there was nothing for the doctor to do. She shook her head.

"How about a visitor?"

Serenity looked up hopefully.

"Your brother's been at the hospital ever since we brought you here. He's been very worried."

"Joey?"

The doctor nodded. "You just wait here a minute while I go get him." He left the room, and Serenity waited patiently. As she waited, she tried to recall what had happened to her, but her mind was blank. Finally, her brother entered the room.

"Hi, Serenity!" Joey exclaimed happily.

Serenity smiled.

"The doc said you're gonna be just fine," Joey told her. "Said it may take a few days for you to get feelin' better though. Don't you worry about thing, sis. I'm gonna be here for you until you're one hundred percent well!"

"Thanks, Joey."

"It's the least I could do," he said with a smile. "Now, I'll bet you're curious about whatever happened to Duke and Tristan."

"Something happened to Duke and Tristan?" Serenity asked.

"What? You mean you don't know what happened?"

"No."

"One of those guys shot 'em; Duke in the leg and Tristan in the shoulder."

Serenity thought for a moment. What guys was Joey talking about? Suddenly, it hit her. It was the three who had taken her: Ryo, Takashi, and Rodger. Everything was coming back to her... Ryo carving her and Seto's names into the Sakura tree, her moments with young Rodger, and Ryo and Takashi coming in drunk then whipping her with their belts. She desperately tried to hold back her tears, asking quietly, "Are they going to be ok?"

"Tristan will be, but I'm not too sure about Duke. He took a couple of hard blows in his leg. Doctor said they may have to amputate it."

Serenity gasped. "They can't do that to Duke!"

"They might have to."

"This whole day has just been horrible! Not just for me, but for everyone. I mean, look at you. You're a mess."

"Yeah," Joey agreed. "This day really has been pretty rotten, hasn't it? I'll bet you've had it the worst though, huh?"

"You have no idea what I've been through, Joey." She couldn't hold her tears back anymore. "It was terrible!"

Joey sat on the bed next to Serenity. He tried his best to console her, but the tears kept coming. She cried and cried, leaving him to think that she would never stop. "Would you like to tell me about it?" he asked.

Serenity dried her eyes and shook her head. Then she asked softly, "Where's Seto?"

"Kaiba? Oh... uh... He left the hospital a long time ago. You see, we'd been waiting for news from the doctor for what seemed like hours. He was gettin' impatient, so he just got up and left."

Serenity couldn't sit up any longer and could barely even keep her eyes open. She lay back in the bed, sighing. "I'm so tired," she said as she closed her eyes.

"I'd better go then," Joey said. "You've gotta rest. Promise me you'll get better now, you hear? I don't wanna to lose you." He left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. Seto Kaiba was standing there, having a concerned look about him.

"May I see her now?" he asked, placing his hand on the door knob, assuming that Joey would allow him in.

"No," Joey told him. "Serenity doesn't want to see anyone right now. She's really tired and needs to rest."

Kaiba removed his hand from the door knob. "I understand," he said, disappointed. "Rest is what's most important for Serenity. I guess I'll be on my way."

He turned and headed on his way.

Joey watched as his rival exited the hospital. _'That's right, Kaiba,'_ he thought. _'You'd better be leaving cause I'm on to you. I know what you've got up your sleeve!'_

* * *

Kaiba turned on the cold water then placed his hands under the faucet. He splashed some water onto his face.

"Hey, Seto," said a soft voice.

Mokuba. Why did he always have to intrude? Mokuba was always there to interrupt his thoughts.

"How was your date with Serenity?"

Kaiba splashed some more water on his face. "There wasn't any date," he answered.

"How come?"

"It's a long story, Mokuba."

"I'm guessing that the reason you didn't have a date has something to do with why you came home looking like you'd been in a fight?"

Kaiba nodded.

"Would you tell me what happened, Seto?" Mokuba asked curiously.

Kaiba sighed as he turned off the faucet. "Yeah, I'll tell you."

* * *

A day had passed since the rescue of Serenity. Mokuba was lying on his stomach on the floor, silently reading a book. The silence was suddenly broken when someone began banging on the door of the Kaiba mansion. Aggravated by all of the noise, Mokuba opened the door, yelling, "What do you want?!"

Joey Wheeler stood before him. "Well, you don't have to yell at me," he said. "I just came for a little visit. Is that so wrong?" He walked passed Mokuba, entering the large mansion. "Whoa! This place is bigger than I thought it was!" Joey marveled at the mansion's size and beauty, his mouth hanging wide open.

Mokuba slammed the door shut. "Did I tell you that you could come in?" he asked angrily.

"I don't need your permission," Joey told him. "Even if you didn't give it to me, I was gonna come in anyway. I've got some things to settle with your brother."

"Seto's up in his office doing some business work. You shouldn't bother him."

"What I have to say is important, Mokuba. Just show me the way to his office..._NOW."_

Without saying anything, Mokuba led Joey to his brother's office. He then left, wanting to give his brother and Joey some privacy for their so-called "important" discussion.

Joey barged into Kaiba's office without knocking. "Hello, Mr. Moneybags. Having a nice day?"

Kaiba, who was sitting at his computer, turned to Joey and glared at him. "Cut it with the small talk and get to the point," he demanded.

"I would, but I need you to come here," Joey explained. "I wanna whisper it to ya."

Kaiba rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I don't have time for this!"

"It's important, rich boy. Now, come on." Joey raised his hand, gesturing for Kaiba to come to him.

Kaiba stood and went to Joey. "Make it quick, mutt," he demanded.

Joey, wearing a smirk on his face, leaned close to Kaiba. "I know what you've been hiding from me," he whispered, "and I don't like it." He raised his fist and gave Kaiba a punch in the face.

"Is that the best you've got, Wheeler?" Kaiba asked.

Joey's face was becoming red. "Don't push me, Kaiba..."

"Come on, dog; give me your best shot!"

"You're askin' for it!"

Kaiba grinned. "You're right," he said. "I am."

Joey grabbed Kaiba and threw him against the wall. "Tell me, Kaiba, why'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Try to kill Serenity!"

Kaiba couldn't comprehend. "What? I never..."

Joey interrupted him. "Don't deny it!" He punched Kaiba again.

"I really don't know what you're talking about!"

"You tried to kill my sister!" Joey yelled. "I know you did!" He threw several furious punches at Kaiba. As he did so, he explained his theory to the clueless CEO:

"You thought you'd just go and give good ol' Joey Wheeler a hard time, didn't you? You figured the best way to get to me was through my sister, so you pretended to like her, and got Serenity to trust you. Then, when the time was right, you made your move: You hired those three employees of yours to kill her. But when the gang started to figure things out, you decided you'd call your plan quits. You went to rescue her as a cover. Now, you're plotting to do the dirty work yourself!"

"That's absurd!" Kaiba shouted. By this time, his face was becoming swollen and turning purple.

"Oh, is it? Well, my fist doesn't seem to think so." Joey continued beating Kaiba. After a while, he asked, "Why won't you fight me, Moneybags? Are you chicken?"

Kaiba didn't reply.

Joey grabbed Kaiba's shirt and pulled him closer. "You are, aren't you? You're scared. That's why you're not fighting." He then grabbed Kaiba by the throat, choking him. "Stop lying and give me the truth."

Kaiba struggled to speak. "That's exactly what makes you crazy," he eventually managed to say.

"Huh?" Joey loosened his grip.

"The fact that you think that I would try to kill Serenity is what makes you crazy," Kaiba explained. "I would never do that to her."

"And why not?"

"You said you wanted the truth. Well, I'll give it to you. I like Serenity."

Joey looked at Kaiba disbelievingly.

"Actually, it's more than that. Hell, I may even love her!"


	10. Serenity's Decision

Chapter 10: Serenity's Decision

_'I may even love her!'_

The words were ringing in Joey Wheeler's head.

_'I may even love her!'_

He couldn't believe it. Those words had come from the mouth of Seto Kaiba, who he thought to be heartless. He stared at the beaten CEO, wide eyed, with his mouth hanging open. "You bastard!" he shouted. "Don't you lie to me! You're just saying that to make me change my mind! Well, let me tell you, that ain't possible! I know what you've done and what you plan to do, and I'm going to tell Serenity all about it!" He fought harder now, hitting Kaiba with all of his strength.

Finally, Kaiba passed out.

Joey smirked, then stormed out of the office room, proud of the condition he'd left his rival in.

* * *

"Why didn't you fight back, Seto?" Mokuba asked as he bandaged his brother's wounds.

"I could easily beat Wheeler any day, you know that," Kaiba told him. "I didn't fight back because I remembered something Serenity said once. We met at the market one day, and she told me how much she really cared about Joey. When he was hitting me, that's what I was thinking about. Something told me that if I hurt him, it'd break her heart."

"So it's not true, is it? You didn't really hire your employees to kill her, right?"

"Of course it wasn't true, Mokuba," Kaiba answered.

"That's good," Mokuba said with relief. He finished putting on the last bandage, then smiled. "There you go. I hope that helps." His smile quickly faded. Seto was hurt...badly. His face looked terrible. It was swollen and he had a black eye. Of course, that wasn't all. He was bruised everywhere else and would still be bleeding, had Mokuba not helped him.

There was an awkward silence between them as Kaiba tried to keep his mind off of the pain and Mokuba thought about the changes that had occurred in his brother.

Mokuba put an end to the silence, saying, "You know, Seto, you've changed a lot."

Kaiba didn't say anything about this, so Mokuba went on. "Duelist Kingdom and Battle City changed you a bit, but that was nothing compared to how Serenity has changed you. I mean it, Seto. Before that day at the park, you were cold hearted and serious; never laughing, never smiling. But now, it's so much different. You're warming up to people, showing that you can be kind. You're smiling, laughing, and having fun. It's really great."

Kaiba continued not to say anything.

"Are you feeling ok, Seto?"

Kaiba looked to Mokuba. "Yes," he said. "I'm fine. Thanks for helping me."

Mokuba threw his arms around Kaiba, hugging him tightly. In fact, his grip was too tight for Kaiba's bruised and aching body, but he didn't complain. "You're the best, Seto!"

Kaiba smiled, despite the pain that Mokuba was putting him through.

* * *

_Serenity Wheeler stood in the downtown streets, with a thick fog surrounding her. Frost covered all of the rooftops, and bits of powdery snow were coming from the soft, grey sky. Winter was well on its way._

_There was no one about, but this made sense, considering the terrible fog. The only thing that Serenity could see was the faint outline of a building across the street. She thought for a minute about going to it, but this moment was too precious to let go. The chilly air, the mysterious fog, the empty streets... All was calm and pleasant._

_"Hey, Serenity!" someone called._

_Serenity watched as a body broke through the fog. She tried her best to determine who it was, but couldn't. The person drew closer and closer, until finally Serenity could tell who it was. "Tristan!" she exclaimed._

_Indeed, it was Tristan Taylor, carrying a bouquet of various flowers. He smiled as he handed it to Serenity. "Wanna be my girlfriend?" he asked eagerly._

_Serenity blushed. "Well, Tristan..."_

_She was cut off by a voice saying, "What world are you living in?"_

_A boy in a wheel chair appeared beside them. He was leaned back into it, with his hands on the wheels, looking carefree but with a hint of arrogance: Duke Devlin._

_Serenity tried to keep her eyes from wandering to the mere stub that had once been Duke's left leg. This was a hard task, however, and soon enough, she was staring._

_Duke, unaware that the girl was staring, told Tristan in a matter-of-fact tone, "She won't be your girlfriend, because she wants to be mine." He grinned._

_Tristan glared at Duke. "You've gotta be kiddin', man. Serenity would never go out with you. You're... uh... missing something."_

_Duke hung his head, seeming ashamed. "You mean my leg? You're saying that just because it had to be amputated that she won't want me? You're crazy, Tristan. I lost my leg for the best cause: to save Serenity. My newly acquired handicap shouldn't matter." He raised his head, turning his attention to Serenity. "You don't mind, do you, Serenity?"_

_"Oh, Duke..." Serenity whispered sympathetically. "No, I don't mind at all." _

_"Please don't stare," Duke said to her._

_Serenity's face reddened terribly as she looked up. "I'm so sorry."_

_It didn't take long for Tristan and Duke to begin bickering again._

_Serenity suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned, finding Seto Kaiba behind her. "Hi, Seto," she said happily._

_Kaiba glanced at Duke and Tristan. "What are you doing with these two clowns?"_

_"Tristan asked me to be his girlfriend," she explained._

_"Is that so? Well, what about old one-leg over there?"_

_Serenity gave Kaiba a soft jab in the side. "Don't call him names. That's rude."_

_"What's stopping me? I can do whatever I want."_

_Serenity ignored his comment. "Duke wants to go out with me too."_

_Kaiba gave her a stern look. "You didn't say yes to them did you?"_

_"Of course not!"_

_Kaiba grinned. "So, does this mean that I've still got a chance?" he asked._

_"Definitely."_

_Tristan and Duke finally noticed Kaiba, instantly stopping their fighting. They watched him with interest, wanting to see what he was going to do._

_"Are you cold?" Kaiba asked._

_Serenity nodded._

_Kaiba removed his jacket and put it around Serenity's shoulders._

_"Thank you," Serenity said, smiling. She then stuck out her tongue and caught a snowflake. She continued to do this, twirling around merrily._

_Confused, Kaiba asked, "What in the world are you doing?"_

_"Catching snowflakes," Serenity replied simply. "You should try it."_

_"You've got to be kidding me. I would never be caught doing something so childish."_

_Serenity turned to face him. "Just because you're the CEO of a big company doesn't mean that you're an adult," she said. "Sure, you have to be mature to be the CEO, but you're not a man, and you shouldn't try to be."_

_Kaiba folded his arms. "If I'm not a man, then what does that make me? A boy? I think not."_

_"You're not a boy," Serenity told him. "You're just at midway point. There's a bit of a man in you, and yet there's still some of the boy in you. Don't you even think of telling me that that part of you is gone! I know that your boyish side is still there, and it may be hidden deep within you, but you can't ignore it."_

_Kaiba grunted._

_"Come on, just give it a try. All you have to do is stick out your tongue and..." A snowflake landed on the tip of her tongue, after which she began to giggle. Serenity looked to Kaiba. "Your turn, Seto."_

_He sighed then slowly stuck out his tongue. After he'd caught a snowflake, he looked to Serenity for her opinion. "How was that?"_

_"Good. Now what you do is turn around while you do it, like this." She paused, twirling around just as she had done before, with her tongue out, catching the small bits of snow._

_"I would never..." Kaiba's voice trailed off._

_Serenity grabbed onto his arm and pulled him along with her as she twirled around. Kaiba tried to get away from her, but she tightened her grip until it came to the point where the young CEO was sick of it. He started to catch the snowflakes on his tongue and twirled willingly. He felt silly at first, but soon saw the good in it._

_"This is fun!" he exclaimed, sounding like a little kid._

_Duke and Tristan watched them, both extremely jealous. Seto and Serenity made something childish look interesting, and the way they twirled was so graceful that it seemed as though they were dancing._

_A few minutes passed, then Kaiba stopped. He caught Serenity just as she was about to turn around again and pulled her close to him; so close, in fact, that her body was against his and their noses were almost touching._

_"Oh great!" Serenity said gaily. "Just what I was thinking about! How did you know?"_

_"What...?"_

_Serenity pressed her nose to Kaiba's and rubbed it against his for a while. When she quit, she smiled. Seto looked very confused. "That," she explained, "was an Eskimo kiss. And this-" She paused, putting her cheek against his, then batted her eyelashes against it. "-is a butterfly kiss."_

_"Oh."_

_As Kaiba held her close to him, Serenity felt a warmth being emitted from him that she'd never felt before. His cold heart had finally been melted. The two were in their own world now. This world was soon shattered, however, when Serenity remembered Duke and Tristan. She looked over at them, immediately noticing Duke's piercing glare. It was intense. Though he never said anything, Serenity could tell just what he was thinking. The words seemed to come from his mind, reaching out to her, filled with both anger and sadness._

_'I can't twirl or dance, let alone walk, these days. Apparently, that's what matters to you most. Tristan was right. Maybe you would have taken me before, but never as I am now. I always thought that you were the most understanding person in the world, but I suppose that even you can't understand enough to like a person for who they are, not for what they have. I guess I'll go. Since Kaiba showed up, you forgot about me, so leaving shouldn't make any difference.'_

_Duke disappeared into the fog and Tristan followed. This left Serenity and Kaiba alone. Kaiba gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, but instead of smiling, Serenity frowned._

_"What's wrong?" Kaiba asked, concerned._

_There was a heavy guilt weighing down upon her, that's what was wrong. But Seto wouldn't understand. He hadn't heard Duke's thoughts like she had. "Nothing," she told him softly._

_"That's good. Now that we're alone, let's kiss."_

_Their lips were about to meet when the tender moment was interrupted by someone saying, "You're foolish, Kaiba."_

_A young man came through the fog. He was tall, somewhere around 6'7". Serenity knew that there were plenty of tall guys out there who had something that didn't fit with their large bodies. Maybe their legs were to long, their arms too short, or their heads too big or too small. That definitely wasn't the case with this man. Everything was in proportion. He had blonde hair with bits of light brown mixed in it, and his eyes were a deep shade of green._

_"Rodger," Serenity whispered._

_Rodger flashed the girl a quick, sexy smile that sent a blush to her cheeks._

_Kaiba pushed Serenity away from him. "I hope you didn't some here to beg for your job back," he told Rodger, "because you're not going to get it. Once I fire someone, there's no coming back."_

_Rodger nodded. "I know, Mr. Kaiba. I didn't come here to ask for my job. I came here to give you the truth."  
_

_"Hmm?"_

_"I've been here long before you have, hiding in the fog, observing how Serenity acts around others. You and those other two kids were foolish to believe that you could ever have a chance with her. I thought you'd know by now that she's taken."_

_Kaiba chuckled. "How would you know if she's taken or not? This must be some kind of stupid trick to try and convince me to give you your job back. Haven't I told you already that I'm not going to change my mind?"_

_"On the contrary, Mr. Kaiba, what I say is true. How do I know this, you ask? Well, let me tell you: Because she's mine." Rodger placed a hand on Serenity's shoulder, grinning._

_Kaiba looked at both of them in an incredulous way._

_"What?" Rodger asked. "You act as if you don't believe me. I suppose that's normal. Tell him that it's true, Serenity."_

_"I can't," Serenity said, "because it isn't!"_

_"How can you say that, my dear? Have you forgotten about our moments together? Have you forgotten how much I love you?"_

_"I..." Her voice trailed off. Of course she remembered. What Rodger had done to her had been stuck in her mind ever since that terrible day. Even now, the simple thought of it scared her._

_Rodger moved his hand from Serenity's shoulder to her chin. He pushed her head upward gently, saying softly, "Look at me, Serenity."_

_Serenity stared into those alluring green eyes. She was soon lost in their beauty, unable to stop staring._

_"What do you see?"_

_"Emeralds... Emeralds prettier and worth more than any diamond. Rod, I had forgotten just how beautiful you are."_

_"Will you quit denying our relationship then?"_

_"...Yes."_

_"So it's true?"_

_"Yes."_

_Kaiba's recently melted heart seemed to break into a million pieces. "I hope you know just how much you've hurt me, Serenity," he said sadly. He didn't get any reply; obviously, Serenity had forgotten about him. He left silently._

_"Come on, Serenity," Rodger said, "let's go the apartment. It's just across the street. You remember the apartment, don't you?"_

_Serenity nodded._

_Rodger took her hand and the two of them ran to the apartment building. They entered it and climbed stairs until they reached the third floor, on which they found an open room. Serenity followed Rodger inside._

_She gasped. "This room!" she exclaimed. "Everything is blood stained!"_

_"What did you expect?" Rodger asked. "This is the same room we were in that day..."_

_"Rod, I don't like this room. It's eerie."_

_"Nonsense." With that, Rodger closed the door and locked it. "Do you remember, Serenity, what happened that day between you and me?"  
_

_"Yes."_

_"Well, today, we're going to do things a bit differently. This time, you're not going to have to kiss me. I want to get right to the point."_

_Serenity's couldn't believe what she was hearing._

_Rodger quickly removed the girl's shirt. "Do you remember what I said after this?"_

_"You said, 'Stand up and take off your pants.' Please don't make me, Rod. I don't want to go through what I did before."_

_"I said this was going to be different, and it is. Do it, Serenity. "_

_Serenity did as he told her._

_Rodger smiled. The smile was so disarming; it almost seemed as if he was innocent. "Those too," he said, pointing to her panties._

_Serenity shook her head. "No," she told him. "I won't."_

_"Serenity, don't be this way. Come on now."_

_Serenity made a rather uncomfortable sound. She removed them as well. Rodger took them and grinned._

_"Silky. These must be comfortable. No wonder you didn't want to take them off. But they're not very revealing, are they? Well, I guess this is your style. Being such a sweet girl, a thong or something like that wouldn't suit you."_

_Serenity blushed._

_"Now, there's not much left, is there? Just a little more..." Rodger reached behind her back and began fiddling with her bra._

_Serenity shut her eyes tightly. "Don't," she begged, but it was too late. He had already taken it off of her._

_"You know, you're smaller than I thought you were," Rodger pointed out. "Oh well, that's not a problem. You've still got a lot of growing to do. In a few more years, you'll be at a good size."_

_She felt his hands on her breasts. Her heart pounded as he gently ran his fingers across them. He then gave them a hard, painful squeeze. "Rodger, please!" Serenity yelped._

_"Yes, I suppose that's enough of that. Well, now that everything is off of you, I guess it's my turn."_

_Serenity kept her eyes closed, but she could tell that Rodger was undressing._

_"Open your eyes."_

_She slowly opened them. Sure enough, there stood Rodger, naked._

_"Now, get into bed," he commanded. "We're going to have sex."_

_Serenity began to tremble. "No," she said. "I can't."_

_"Sure you can!"_

_"You don't understand! I'm... I'm a virgin!"_

_"There's a first time for everything."_

_Tears filled her eyes. "Rod, no! I can't! I can't do this! I'm not ready!"_

_Rodger shook his head. "You say you're not ready," he said, "but you are. Maybe your mind isn't, but I know that your body is plenty ready for this."_

_"No!"_

_Tired of the girl not obeying him, Rodger gave her a forceful push, causing her to fall onto the bed._

_"Rod! Rod, please! Please don't do this to me!"_

_Rodger climbed on top of her. "Serenity," he whispered, "I'm going to make sure that, by the time we're through, you're pregnant."_

_"No!" Serenity screamed. "No! I don't want this!"_

* * *

Serenity Wheeler bolted up her heart pounding at a rapid pace. She looked around nervously, wondering where she was. It looked like a hospital to her. She tore the blankets off of her and placed a hand on her stomach. Was she pregnant? She lay back down, wanting to cry. She quickly got up again, however, finding that her pillow was soaked with a mixture of sweat and tears. She touched her cheek. Her face was wet as well. _'What's going on?'_ she asked herself. _'What happened to Rodger and how did I get to this hospital?'_ She thought and thought. The answer finally came to her: A dream. The whole thing had been a dream.

Hours passed, and Serenity found herself still lost in the horror of her dream. It had been so real. This realism, in fact, had almost caused her to ask the doctor to give her a pregnancy test. Currently she sat with her body erect, wide eyed; alert. There was a clear picture of Rodger- with that honey-colored hair, those sparkling emerald eyes, and that sweet smile- in the back of her mind. The door suddenly burst open, startling her.

Her brother Joey waltzed in, wearing a sort of sly grin on his face. "What's up, sis?" he asked.

Serenity smiled slightly, trying hard to push away the memories of her dream.

"You don't look good. What happened to ya, Serenity?"

"Oh, it's nothing, Joey."

"Well, that's cool. You had me worried for a minute."

"Say, Joey, what's the news on Duke? Do you know?"

Joey shook his head. "It ain't good, I'll tell you that much," he said. "If his leg doesn't start to look better, they're gonna amputate it tomorrow morning."

"Poor Duke..."

"Yeah, but, Serenity, that's not why I'm here. I mean, I didn't come here to talk about Duke. I came here to talk to you about Kaiba."

"What about him?"

"There's some stuff you really ought to know..."

* * *

Seto Kaiba stared at his rough reflection in the mirror. With a black eye and his face still somewhat swollen, it was very apparent that he'd been in a fight. He sighed. "Mokuba!" he called.

Mokuba was immediately at his brother's side. "Yes, Seto?"

"You've been taking care of those roses for me, right?" Kaiba asked.

"You mean the ones you were going to give Serenity on your date? Yeah, I've been taking care of them," Mokuba replied.

"And they're still in good condition?"

"Yep!"

"I want to go to the hospital to see Serenity, and I'm going to give those to her."

"But Seto," Mokuba complained, "you can't go! You've got to rest and give yourself some time to heal. Besides, what will she say when she sees you like this?"

"I don't know, and I don't care."

"You should tell her that Joey's the one who did this to you. That would really get her, huh?"

"No, I can't. Telling her that her dog brother did this would only make things worse. It'd probably cause some sort of rift between them," Kaiba said, "and that would be a bad thing because they have a really great relationship. It'd be a lot like what would happen if you and I got torn apart."

"Oh, I see."

With that, Kaiba quickly grabbed his roses and headed for the hospital.

* * *

Serenity was laying in bed- the thoughts of her dream having been replaced by that of what her big brother had told her earlier about Seto Kaiba- when there came a soft knock on the door. "Who is it?" she called.

"Seto Kaiba."

"Seto," she whispered. She thought for a moment, then answered, "Come in."

The door opened slowly, making a sort of creaking sound, and Kaiba entered the room. "Hi," he said in a soft, pleasant way. "I've missed you."

"Seto, what happened to you?" Serenity asked, sitting up.

Since he couldn't tell her the truth, Kaiba fibbed. "Me? Oh, it's nothing. This is just a result of the fight I was in to save you. You know, with me, your brother, and those other two friends of yours against the three who took you."

Serenity didn't say anything.

Kaiba smiled. "These are for you," he said as he handed her the dozen roses.

Serenity forced herself to smile as she accepted them. "Thanks," she said in a rather bitter way.

"I thought maybe we could go on that date we missed after you get out of the hospital. What do you say?"

She just shrugged.

"Are you ok, Serenity?" Kaiba asked.

"No," Serenity told him. "No, I'm not."

"What's the matter?"

She seemed reluctant to answer him at first, but after a moment of silence answered, "We can't go on like this."

"What to you mean?"

"We can't see each other anymore, Seto."

Kaiba stood there, seeming shaken by Serenity's words.

"I'm sorry," Serenity said, "but we just can't. It has to end."

"But Serenity..."

"I'm not going to rethink this, Seto. I don't want to see you anymore, and that's that. You hear me? It's over."

Kaiba nodded.

"Now take your stupid roses and get out of here!" Serenity threw the roses back to Seto. He didn't catch them, however, and they ended up landing all over the floor.

Kaiba looked at her in a dumbfounded way.

"Get out!" Serenity yelled.

Kaiba gathered his roses and, without saying a word, left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Serenity then burst into tears. She cried hysterically as everything whirled around in her mind. It was all a big mess. _'Seto,'_ she thought. _'How could you? How could you plan to do such terrible things to me? Or did you? Was what Joey said true? He's my brother, he wouldn't lie to me. It has to be true. But Seto, you mean so much to me. These feelings I have for you are unlike any I've ever felt before. How could you do this to me? And yet, how could I do that you? Why did I let you go? Why did I let you go when I have such strong feelings for you? Part of me wants to believe Joey, but the other part of me doesn't. Everything is so mixed up. I don't know what to do, I don't know what to think, and I don't know what to believe anymore, Seto...'_

It wasn't long before the girl cried herself to sleep.


	11. Alone Again

Chapter 11: Alone Again

The Kaiba brothers were both sitting in big arm chairs, silent. Mokuba was leaned back into his, comfortable and content. Seto, on the other hand, sat up straight, seeming to stare into space, stuck in deep thought.

Mokuba pointed out suddenly, "You've been acting kind of weird ever since you got home from the hospital." He paused for a moment, then asked, "How come?"

Seto just shook his head.

"Please tell me."

Kaiba sighed. "Mokuba, I don't know what's been wrong with me."

Mokuba looked over at his brother quizzically. "Hmm?"

"Before that day that we all dueled in the park, I didn't want friends. I didn't need any. I couldn't have cared less. Then, Serenity popped up and everything changed. Suddenly, I wanted to be her friend; more than that even. I don't know what it was about her. She just gave me such weird feelings, and they changed me. If it wasn't for her, I would've beaten the shit out of Joey. I really should have."

"I could have told you that," Mokuba said. "You could take him any day. Besides, Joey was wrong about what happened. Not fighting back because of Serenity was sweet and all, but you should've proved to him that the things he was saying weren't true."

"What in the hell have I been thinking all of this time? I don't need anyone. I never have. Serenity and I are over, Mokuba, and that's the way it should be."

* * *

Tristan Taylor lay in a bed on the left side of the hospital room, Duke Devlin on the right, with a desk in between them. Tristan glanced over at a small digital clock on the desk. It was 9:05 a.m., Tuesday morning. He then looked to Duke, who lay in his bed with his eyes closed, quiet and motionless. "Hey, Duke," he called. "You awake?"

"Yes," Duke replied without stirring. "I've been awake for about an hour now."

"You don't look like you're awake to me."

Duke opened his eyes and looked to Tristan.

"You know, there's only five minutes till your examination," Tristan told him.

"I know."

"Are you worried?"

Duke nodded.

Tristan frowned. "Does your leg hurt you, Duke?" he asked.

Duke wouldn't admit to true pain, so simply replied, "Yes."

"That's funny cause my shoulder doesn't hurt me at all. And I couldn't help but notice yesterday that they're giving you a lot more medicine and shots and stuff then they are me. If you've had all that medicine, I don't really understand how you're hurting and I'm not."

Duke sighed. "They've given you some painkillers, right?"

"Yeah."

"And did they help?"

"Yeah."

"They're not helping me. And that other stuff they're giving me, all it does is... well... it kind of makes me... ya know... high."

"Oh! So that's why you went rambling on and on yesterday!" Tristan exclaimed.

"What?"

"Yesterday, after they gave you your medicine, you were talking about a bunch of stupid stuff. I couldn't really understand much of it, and I really wanted you to shut up, but you wouldn't. Eventually, I just started to ignore you." Tristan laughed. "It really was the funniest thing," he added.

"You've got to understand, Tristan," Duke told him, "I didn't know what I was doing. In fact, I don't even remember that."

"So are you high now?"

"No, but I wish I were."

Confused, Tristan asked, "Why?"

"Because it makes me feel better," Duke answered. "Like I said, painkillers don't help me. They don't get rid of the pain like they're supposed to. Being high takes my mind off of the pain and it makes me forget all of my worries."

"Mm-hmm... And they're giving you more medicine than me because...?"

"My injury is worse than yours," Duke explained. "You weren't hit directly like I was. Plus, I took two bullets, not just one like you. You see, the bullet that hit you ricocheted off something first, then it just nicked you. I mean, it barely even hit you, Tristan. The bullets I took were direct. They nailed me right in my leg, and you know what? They stayed there. When we got to the hospital the doctors had to remove the bullets. And now..." His voice trailed off. Duke bit his bottom lip, holding back his tears. He swallowed hard, then attempted to continue; "Now they're going to amputate it."

"You don't know that. They're just taking you away to examine your leg."

"Yeah, and after they examine it, they're going to amputate it."

Disgusted, Tristan raised his voice. "Stop thinking like that! When they examine your leg, they're gonna see that there's nothing wrong and everything will be alright!"

Duke shook his head. "Did you look at your shoulder that day when we were hit, Tristan?" he asked.

Tristan nodded.

"Have you looked at it now?"

"I have, and it's getting better. In fact, I get released from the hospital today, did I tell you that?"

"No, but I'm happy for you. Your wound is healing, Tristan..." A tear rolled down Duke's cheek, then he went on, "Mine isn't. My leg isn't healing. _It's not healing._ That's why they're going to amputate it. It's not healing and it's never going to."

"Man, stop saying that! You've gotta think positive! Even if things do come to the worst and your leg does have to be amputated, life's gonna keep going. You and I may fight a lot, especially over Serenity, but you're still my friend, Duke. If I have to, I'll push you around in a wheel chair anywhere you need to go. Around school, around town, anywhere, Duke! I'll help you."

"Thanks. Listen, I... I'm really sorry for crying like this. I'm such a wimp, huh?"

"No," Tristan told Duke, "you're not. I totally understand, buddy."

There were a few minutes of silence between them, and soon footsteps could be heard in the hallway. Duke wiped away his tears, then said, "Here they come, Tristan. They're going to take me away, and I'm going to come back one leg short of a man."

* * *

Two days passed. Serenity Wheeler lay in her bed, bored, waiting for time to go by. She could leave the hospital later that day, but now it was too early; only noon. She hadn't heard anything from Seto Kaiba, nor had she gotten word of what had become of Duke Devlin.

There was a soft tap on the door and the voice of Tristan Taylor calling, "Hey there, Serenity! Can I come in?"

Ever since he'd been released from the hospital, that silly Tristan had stopped by to see her two or three times a day. Serenity knew that his visit would certainly make time pass quickly. "Come on in, Tristan!"

The door opened a bit and Tristan poked his head in. "You just look better and better every day!" he exclaimed. He then pushed the door all the open and entered the room. Poor Tristan had his arm in a sling, but the injury never seemed to bother him. He wore a huge smile on his face as he looked upon Serenity, seeming happier than ever. "I've got some news for you."

"What is it?" Serenity asked curiously.

"I'll bet you're tired of being kept in this bed all day, huh?"

"Well... Yes."

"Good, cause the nurse said I could take you to go visit Duke- he's still in the hospital too, you know- if you're feeling up to it."

Serenity sat up, excited. "Yes! I'd love to go see Duke! Please, Tristan, let's go now!"

"All right," Tristan said as he took Serenity's hand in his. He helped her to her feet. Then, still holding her hand, he led her to Duke's room. When they entered, Tristan let go of her hand and waved at a rather sickly looking Duke Devlin, who'd been sitting up, dazed looking.

Duke smiled slightly. "Hi," he said. He then looked to Serenity and nodded to her. "You're looking well today," he said.

"I wish I could say the same to you," Serenity said sadly.

"Yeah, well, I'm still weak from my surgery I guess."

Serenity's heart began to race. "Duke," she said softly, "please don't tell me that they..."

"Had to amputate my leg?" Duke asked, interrupting her. He grinned, then threw the covers off of him...

"You didn't have to get it amputated?" Serenity asked hopefully.

"Nope. I didn't have to have the amputation, but they did some sort surgery on my leg. I can't exactly remember what at the moment. They had me on some medicine when they told me."

Serenity had been brought to tears of joy. She hugged Duke tightly, whispering, "I've been so, _so_ worried. You wouldn't believe how much I've thought about you. But now I know that you're going to be fine. I'm so glad you're ok..."

Tristan cleared his throat and interrupted the sweet moment by saying, "There's something I gotta tell you, Serenity."

She let go of Duke, looking to Tristan. "Yes?"

"Kaiba had those three guys arrested the other day," Tristan told her. "Nobody knows the whole story, so there's going to be a big trial next week and you're supposed to testify. In fact, just about everybody is. I mean me, Duke, Joey, Kaiba, Mai, Bakura, and Yugi. We were all involved in it too, you know."

Serenity quieted. She remained silent for a moment, and then smiled. She squeezed Duke again. "I'm so glad that you're ok, Duke!"

* * *

It was only a teenage thing. Hormones were out of whack. That's what had caused it all. That's what caused a lot of problems in teen-agers. It was something that couldn't be controlled, therefore, there was no way that he could have prevented what happened. That day at the park, Serenity Wheeler had sparked something, causing hormones and things to churn inside him, changing his thoughts, changing his actions, changing who he was. He knew that teens these days are often mixed up, trying to find out who they are and searching for an identity. But not him. He already knew these things, despite his young age. For a while he had nearly forgotten, only concentrating on the Wheeler girl. Now that she was gone, he was alone again, and remembered his identity. He was Seto Kaiba, the wealthy CEO of Kaiba Corporation.

These things Kaiba had forced upon himself, forced into his mind. Whether they were true or not didn't matter. All that mattered was that the remaining thoughts and feelings of Serenity were out of his mind; they had to be forced away.

He was headed to Kaiba Corp. that evening, with Mokuba following behind him, carrying a briefcase. Kaiba, with all of his superiority, looked down upon everyone else around him, his head held high and standing tall. He strolled- with a bit of a swagger- leisurely down the crowded sidewalk, pushing away anyone who was in his path. Every now and then he gave off a rude, bitter comment, or would give someone a cold, piercing glare.

The old Seto Kaiba was back, and worse than ever.


	12. Silence

Chapter 12: Silence

Joey Wheeler shoved his hands into his pockets angrily. "C'mon, c'mon, where is she?" he muttered to himself. He leaned against a nearby tree and sighed. "Come on..."

"Hello, dog."

Joey turned to find Seto Kaiba beside him. "Well, if it isn't Mr. Moneybags," he said. "Are you feeling better today or does everything still hurt?" He now wore a triumphant grin.

"I'm fine," Kaiba replied. "In fact, I've never been better."

"You don't look much better." With that, Joey chuckled. The bruises he'd given Kaiba previously were beginning to fade, but his black eye was just as apparent as ever.

Kaiba folded his arms and grunted. "Well," he said, "what are you waiting around here for? Shouldn't you be getting home, mutt?"

"No. I'm waiting for my girlfriend, Mai, to pick me up. We've got a date."

"I don't see how anyone could want a dog for a boyfriend..."

Joey glared at Kaiba. "Hey, at least I can get a girlfriend. I've never seen you with anybody."

Kaiba laughed. "I don't have time for girls," he said.

"Then how do you explain what went on between you and my sister, huh?"

"Serenity?" Kaiba asked. Then he shook his head. "Don't even remind me of her. She's nothing but a pathetic puppy. I suppose that dog gene runs in the family."

Joey slowly approached Kaiba. "No one- and I mean it- calls my sister a pathetic puppy and gets away with it." He made a fist.

"Wheeler," Kaiba said, "let me tell you something. I have a lot of regrets in my life, and what happened with Serenity is one of the biggest ones, but the thing I regret the most is not fighting back that day. It's about time I fixed things, and now is the perfect opportunity."

Joey didn't even have the chance to reply. Before he knew it, Kaiba had thrown a hard punch at him and he was stumbling backward. He looked to Kaiba questioningly, and then the young CEO hit him again.

"How does it feel, Wheeler?" Kaiba asked.

"Wha...?"

Joey was obviously clueless about everything, considering that it had all happened so fast. Kaiba was amused by this, and threw another punch at him. Soon, Joey was in a state similar to that which Kaiba had been in the other day; on the ground, his bottom lip bleeding terribly, and his face becoming swollen. Revenge had never been so sweet. Laughing, Kaiba left him there.

Soon, a car pulled up and Mai Valentine hopped out. "Joey!" she shrieked. She got down beside him. "Joey..." Tears filled her eyes.

"Is that you, Mai?" Joey asked.

Mai nodded. "Yes, Joey. It's me. What happened to you?"

"A fight," Joey answered simply.

"With who?"

"Seto Kaiba."

Mai looked up, seeing Kaiba as he slowly walked on. "Why that little..." She turned her attention back to Joey. "Don't worry, Joey. Everything is going to be ok." Despite the fact that he was bleeding, Mai kissed him, long and hard. "I love you, Joey," she whispered. "I love you."

Joey's vision was blurred, and he was on the verge of fainting. "Mai," he said weakly, "I love you too."

Kaiba stopped walking and turned around. He looked to Joey and Mai, who were kissing passionately, then let out a sigh. _'I suppose she really loves that dog,'_ he thought_, 'just like Serenity does.'_ Then he gasped. Serenity. After all this time, the thoughts of her had finally returned. He quickened his pace and headed in the direction of Kaiba Corporation. He needed something to free his mind of her.

* * *

Serenity sat atop a hill, staring at the brilliant sky, with its pretty shades of pink, purple and blue, as the golden sun slowly fell. _'Nothing makes sense anymore,'_ she thought_. 'I can't understand a single thing.'_ Sobbing, she buried her face in her hands. She tried desperately to sort things in her mind, but to no avail.

"Hey, uh... Serenity?" asked a familiar voice.

Tristan Taylor.

"Please, Tristan, I need to be alone," Serenity said without looking up.

"Oh. Well, I came to give you some good news."

"Nothing can possibly be good right now; everything is bad."

"Don't say that. It really is good news. Take a look, Serenity."

Serenity raised her head. Beside Tristan was Duke Devlin, in a wheelchair. "Duke," she said without feeling, "they finally released you from the hospital."

"That's right!" Duke exclaimed cheerfully. "And I'm not gonna be stuck in this thing-"-he gestured to the wheelchair- "-forever either. Soon enough I'll be able to use crutches instead, and after that I'll be walking again! Isn't it great, Serenity? Isn't it great?"

"Yes."

"We stopped by your place first," Tristan said. "Your mom told us you were up here, so that's how we knew. She's worried about you, Serenity, because you've been gone so long. What exactly are you doing up here anyway?"

"Watching the sunset...and thinking about things," Serenity answered.

Concerned, Duke asked, "Is there something wrong, Serenity?"

The girl let out a quiet whimper then buried her face in her hands again. The boys were at her side immediately. Tristan took her hand, holding it tightly, while Duke placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong, Serenity?"

"Are you okay?"

"How do you feel?"

"Does anything hurt?"

The questions kept coming at her. She soon tired of them and raised her head, looking to Tristan, then Duke. "Guys," she said softly, "you're not helping. I'm not hurt and I feel fine. It's just... It's just... Everything is so mixed up."

"Well, maybe we can help," Tristan told her.

"You wouldn't understand."

"You could at least let us try," Duke said.

"Yeah," Tristan agreed. "Besides, I hate to see you like this."

Serenity sighed. "Well, alright. You see, the other day, Joey came to visit me in the hospital. And then he told me... He told me that Seto was behind everything; that Kaiba hired those men to kill me. I couldn't believe it. I mean, I know Kaiba isn't always nice, but for Joey to think that of him is crazy. And yet, I want to believe Joey because he's my brother and he's never lied to me before. He has always been honest. I only wish I knew the truth."

"We can find out for you," Tristan offered.

Serenity thought for a moment. "No," she said. "Actually, I don't think I want to know. If Joey was telling the truth, then that's just scary; I mean the fact that Kaiba would do that to me... I thought that he was beginning to like me. But if Joey lied, then that's worse. That's just awful that he would make something up like that. Maybe it's better if I don't know."

"That makes sense," Duke said. "Is there anything else on your mind?"

"Yes," Serenity answered. "I'm worried about the trial."

"Go on," Tristan urged.

"I don't want to have to stand up in front of so many people and tell what happened."

"Serenity, it's been a while since that whole thing," Duke told her. "About a week. No one has even gotten a single word out of you about what went on. Why won't you tell what happened?"

"I can't..."

"Won't you tell us? Please, Serenity?" Tristan asked.

"I can't. It was terrible!"

Duke removed his hand from the girl's shoulder then folded his arms angrily. "You can't be like this," he said. "You can't hide it, no matter how terrible things were. You want to get those guys, don't you? If you do, then you're going to have to speak out against them, whether you're comfortable with it or not. I know I'm going to. Look at what they did to me!"

"Yeah," Tristan agreed. "This is something you're gonna have to do."

"But you don't know what happened! I can't tell all those people about how..." Serenity's voice trailed off. After a moment of silence, she said, "Tristan... Duke... Please. I just want to be alone. I need some time to sort things out."

The two boys left without saying another word.

_'No,'_ Serenity told herself. _'I can't tell everyone about what Rodger did to me.'_ Rodger. The name itself sent a shiver down her spine. Memories of that day and of her dream filled her mind. _'No. No. And yet... I have to, don't I? It's like Duke said. If I want to get those three, I've got to speak out against them. But... But... How can I stand up in front of so many people and tell what Rod did to me? So many people... And so terrible and embarrassing... And what about Seto?'_ She sighed. _'Oh Seto...'_ Tears filled her eyes. _'What am I going to do? What am I going to do?'_

* * *

Seto Kaiba was leaving Kaiba Corp., tired of working so hard. With three of his top executives gone, he'd been doing much more than usual, and was, at the moment, unable to find replacements for them. He'd planned on stopping somewhere to get some lunch, but as he was walking, something caught his eye: The park. The place where it had all started.

"Serenity..." he muttered quietly. Then, he shook his head. _'There's no sense in thinking about her,'_ he thought. _'Besides, I don't care anymore.'_

He continued on his way for a short moment, then stopped again to look back at the park. _'I don't care,'_ he told himself. _'I don't care.'_ He stared at the entrance of the park for a long while. Then he shut his eyes tightly and whispered to himself, "What are you doing, Kaiba? It's all over. Besides, those feelings for her weren't real. They were just... just a teenage thing. Right?" He opened his eyes, staring at the park again. _'It wasn't real,'_ he assured himself, _'and I don't care. I don't care...'_

The troubled teen slowly went on, but rather unlike himself. He wasn't the Seto Kaiba who went about proudly, walking with a swagger. He was slouched over while he walked, his feet dragging. He didn't seem to want to keep going, but pressed on anyway.

_'What is this?'_ he questioned himself. _'I thought I'd ridden myself of all the thoughts of that wretched girl. I was sure I forced her out of my mind; she was gone forever. But now... What is this? This feeling...? Well, it doesn't matter. I'm Seto Kaiba, and I don't have time for things like this.'_ He straightened himself up. _'I don't have time for parks. And I certainly don't have time to reflect upon the past; or time for a girlfriend. Besides, there isn't a girl out there who's good enough for me, least of all Serenity Wheeler.'_

Kaiba went on in his usual, superior manner. He was back to being himself and his troubles were forgotten...for now.

* * *

That park again. That stupid park. Why did it have to be there?

On his way home that evening, that park seemed to have lured him to it, like it was calling his name. He caught himself staring at it again, with thoughts of Serenity lurking in the back of his mind.

It had been nearly a week since Ryo, Takashi, and Rodger had taken her away. Seto and Serenity were supposed to have a date that day; a date that would've begun at that park, but those three had prevented it. Now it was all over. Kaiba could hear Serenity's angry yells in his mind:

_'Now take your stupid roses and get out of here! Get out!'_

The two hadn't spoken since then. Perhaps it was the silence between them that had caused the feelings that plagued Kaiba's heart. Yes, the dreaded silence had to be the cause.

The park continued to beckon to Kaiba. He stared at it for the longest time, but soon found himself wandering around in it aimlessly; trying to find something that he knew couldn't be found. He soon came to the Sakura Tree...

SETO x SERENITY.

He ran his fingers gingerly across the letters carved into it.

SETO x SERENITY.

With a heavy sigh, Kaiba drew back from the tree and seated himself on a nearby bench. That tree brought back everything that he'd thought he'd gotten rid of. Memories filled his mind:

Dueling in the park and his triumph over Yugi Muto. Then sitting with Serenity at the ice cream parlor, in a tiny booth. He'd been in the middle, squeezed next to the girl, and with little Mokuba on the end, having to sit sideways in order to fit, with his legs dangling out to the side.

Those secret love notes that Mokuba had written, and his date with Serenity. The wonderful date... She had shown him the "wonders" of the world, all of its simple treasures and beauties.

"Have you ever stopped to look up at the trees in the fall? They're all orange and yellow and red. That's pretty," she had said.

Remembering this, Kaiba looked up at the many trees that surrounded him. They were starting to lose their leaves. He stood, walked over to one of the trees and picked up a yellow leaf. He took it back to the bench with him.

"Have you ever looked at the sky in the early morning, with all its pretty colors? Or how about in the afternoon? The sky is such a beautiful blue and it's got all of those fluffy, white clouds..."

Kaiba stared up at the sky for a long time. The sun was setting. Then he stared at the trees and the leaf he held in his hand. "I can't see it," he muttered quietly. "To Serenity, this is beauty... But me? I can't see it. That night, with her beside me, I could see the beauty of the dark sky. But now, I can't see the beauty in this. It just isn't there..." Kaiba hung his head, letting out a sigh. "Serenity..."


	13. As Sweet As Honey

Chapter 13: As Sweet As Honey

"Joey," Mai Valentine called to her boyfriend, "Duke and Tristan are here!"

Joey, who lay on his bed, resting, muttered, "Great..." He sat up, then called back, "Let 'em in!"

Mai returned with Tristan and Duke at her side.

"Hey there, Joey!" Tristan said happily. "Listen, uh..." He suddenly stopped. He took a moment, looking his friend over, then said, "Say, Joe, what happened to you?"

Joey sighed, disgusted. "That damn Kaiba got the best of me."

"Kaiba, huh?" Duke asked. "Well, looks like he just about busted your lip. Must've been some fight!"

Joey grunted.

"I didn't see it," Mai said, "but, anyway, you're right, Duke. Joey here almost had to get stitches in his lip."

"Never mind that," Tristan said. "Duke and I came here to talk to you, Joey, and it's serious! It's about Serenity."

"What about her?" Joey asked.

"We went to talk to her today," Duke explained, "and she's... well..."

"Messed up!" Tristan said, finishing Duke's sentence.

Joey didn't say anything.

"Listen, man," Tristan went on, "she said you told her that Kaiba tried to have her killed! And now she's really messed up and lost and... uh... She just doesn't know what to do. Joey, tell me something: How'd you come up with that crazy idea?"

"What?" Joey asked. "About Kaiba? You don't believe me?"

"Wait a sec!" Mai exclaimed. "What's going on here?" She looked to Joey, confused. "Kaiba tried to kill Serenity?"

"No!" Duke interrupted. "Joey just made that up. Isn't it true, Joey? In all of your stupidity, you accused Kaiba of that, without any proof whatsoever, and now you've got Serenity upset! She wants to believe you, but I don't see why. I can see right through you, Wheeler! What kind of brother treats their little sister like that? You ought to be ashamed!"

"Ok, ok, ok," Mai said, sitting on Joey's bed. "Somebody fill me in here. Joey, you accused Kaiba of killing Serenity?"

Joey nodded.

"Why?"

Joey folded his arms. Angrily, he replied, "Because. Think about it. There was the 'SETO x SERENITY' carved into that tree in the park. And Kaiba... He knew everything; like who had Serenity and where they were keeping her. It just made sense, to me at least, for him to be tied into that scam. Kaiba hates me, you know, and I figured that he was just using Serenity to get me. He turned on the good ol' Kaiba charm and got Serenity to like him, and then when he figured she trusted him enough, he hired those three guys to kill her! There. That's what I think."

Mai, Duke, and Tristan exchanged glances.

"And you told Serenity all this?" Mai asked.

"Yep," Joey answered, "and Kaiba too. Man, I showed him not to mess with me or my sister. I told him what I thought, and he denied it, that insane bastard. I beat him up. Heck, I almost killed the guy! All those bruises and that black eye; I gave 'em to him. For what he did to Serenity, he deserved every bit of it. Strange though... he didn't fight back. Said it was cause he loved Serenity. What a lie that was! But today, he caught me off guard and got his revenge."

"Slow down!" Duke said. "Ok, so it goes like this: That whole thing with Serenity happens, you go and accuse Kaiba of hiring those three to murder her, you beat him up, he beats you up, and then...?"

"Then, when I get my hands on him, I'm gonna kill him!"

"Joey!" Mai exclaimed. "This is all just a big circle! You can't just go on fighting like this. Just let Kaiba go. Much as I love you, Joey, I don't believe you. I don't think Kaiba would want Serenity dead. You're looking at it the wrong way. Think about how he acted that day. He was holding Serenity in his arms and just saying her name over and over and the way he looked at her... It was so sweet."

"Besides, you've got no proof," Duke added.

Tristan said, "Think about Serenity, man. What you said about Kaiba has her all messed up. Consider _her_, Joey. What means more to you? Getting at Kaiba or your sister's feelings?"

Joey hung his head in shame. "Serenity... Of course she means more to me. I... I didn't mean to hurt her. No, that's not what I meant. I was protecting her! I honestly thought that Kaiba was dangerous, so I told her what I thought and that it was best for her to stay away from him. I was just protecting her." He paused. "...It's true," he finally said. "I don't have proof. I guess I did just make that whole thing up. But I believed it at the time! I really thought..." Joey sighed, then lay back in his bed. "I suppose it doesn't matter now. The damage has already been done. And there's nothing I can do about it. I'm just not a good brother..."

* * *

Serenity was walking through the downtown streets, carrying two large sacks. Her mother had sent her to the store to buy some things, and she was just now headed on her way home. Time had passed. The trial was tomorrow. As she was walking, she heard a quiet whimpering: a little dog. She bent down beside it.

"Aw... Hey there, little guy," she said, starting to pet it. "You're cute. Aw... Yes, you're just adorable! I'd..."

"Miss Serenity Wheeler, I presume?" someone interrupted.

She stood up, finding a man there. He wore sunglasses and a long coat. He seemed very strange. Serenity slowly backed away from him.

"Don't be afraid, Miss," he said.

She continued to back away.

"My client needs to speak with you."

Serenity stopped and looked at him questioningly.

"Please," the man begged. "It's important. I know you're worried about the upcoming trial, and my client wants to speak with you about it."

She gasped. "How'd you know about the trial?! ...Wait. Wait, I get it. You're a lawyer, aren't you? For one of _THEM."_

"Indeed I am," was the answer. "Trust me, Serenity, this is important. I need you to come with me."

The girl eyed him cautiously as he extended his hand. "I don't trust you!" she cried, and then began running. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, but the sacks weighed her down. She ran and ran and ran...

A hand on her shoulder. The man had caught up to her, and she was too tired to run any longer. "What do you want from me?!" she screamed.

"Serenity," he said, "I told you. My client needs to speak with you. It's about the trial. I think that if you do this, you'll be more secure when that time comes. You can trust me."

"Fine. But tell me: Which one is it?"

Later...

Serenity seated herself at a small table. The lawyer had brought her to a rather old, run down building. The place had an odd sense about it, and was very dark. The room she was in was only dimly lit.

"Wait here a moment," the man instructed just as he disappeared into the darkness.

After a few minutes a man entered the room and seated himself at the table, across from Serenity. It was none other than young, handsome Rodger Wills. He smiled at her.

"Don't even think about it!" Serenity yelled, standing up. "You keep away from me!"

Rodger looked at her, surprised. "My, my, Serenity," he said after a moment. "Don't be so emotional. Calm down now. We have some things to discuss."

"No we don't!" Serenity shouted. "We have nothing to talk about!" She started to walk away.

"Serenity. Sweet Serenity Wheeler... Come here, angel, and have a seat. It's about the trial. I know you're scared to death. I can sense it. I just want you to..."

"To tell them that you're innocent at the trial?!" Serenity interrupted angrily. "Well, the answer is no! No, I won't do that!"

"That's not it," Rodger told her. "Be a good girl and have a seat. I just want to chat."

Serenity simply stood there, silent, with her back turned to him.

Rodger stood up and walked over to her. "Please," he whispered to her. "I know you hate me, but this is something that has to be discussed. It's a very important matter. Please, my dear Serenity."

Serenity turned around and looked at him for a moment. She looked over every inch of him, memories flashing through her mind. "You know," she said quietly, "I thought you were taller. I had this dream... You must've been almost seven feet tall."

He chuckled. "Seven feet? No, no, no. Come on now. Please talk with me." He led Serenity back to the table and they both sat down.

There was a long silence.

"Well, if you're not going to say anything, then I might as well start asking questions," Rodger said. "How do you feel about that day and everything that happened?"

Serenity hung her head. "Oh, it was horrible. Don't make me think about it, Rod. I don't want to do this. I don't want to remember."

"Ok then. How about me? How do you feel about me?"

Serenity looked over him again. Anger boiled inside her. "You're the worst of all! Ryo and Takashi were _nothing_ compared to you! What they did was nothing! You... You've scarred me for life! I think about what happened all the time and it's just so terrible! I feel ruined and lost and..." Tears began to fill her eyes. She paused for while. Then she continued, "That was the worst day of my life! Not only was I hurt physically, but look at what this has done to me emotionally. I've been so confused. I feel like I've been robbed..."

"Robbed of your innocence," Rodger finished for her.

Serenity didn't say anything, but only continued to cry.

Another long silence.

"I had the dream again last night," Serenity said. "I had the same dream. That horrid dream... That's the second time I've had it, and both times I've woken up feeling as though it was real, crying uncontrollably. One time was enough, but a second...? I can't take it anymore." She seemed to be her own little world.

"Why don't you tell me about it, hmm?" Rodger asked.

"Oh, it starts out so nice, with all the boys asking me out. It's snowing and everything is so pleasant and I'm dancing with Seto and we're having so much fun and... Then you come along and ruin it all. You take me away from Seto, but I go with you willingly. You take me to the same apartment building that we were in that day, and you make me... You make me take off... all my clothes; every bit, every little thing. You touch me. Everywhere. And then you take off everything of yours and you tell me that we're going to... That we're going to have sex. Then you push me onto the bed and climb on top of me, whispering, 'I'm going to make sure that, by the time we're through, you're pregnant.' And I'm screaming, crying... Then it's over, and I wake up. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry." The tears came harder. She buried her face in her hands.

"Hmmm... Sounds like that's been bothering you. Does it seem real to you, Serenity?"

"The dream?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Oh, yes. Entirely real. Very, very realistic. It scares me."

"It's been on your mind a lot then?"

"Yeah. I can't seem to shake it off. The reality of it sticks in my mind and, even though I know it was a dream, sometimes I feel as though it really took place."

"So you feel as though those things really happened?"

"...Yes."

"Then no wonder you feel robbed of your innocence. I nearly took it from you that day, and in your dreams and mind, I have. I took the thing that makes you so perfect: Innocence. I'm so sorry, Serenity."

"I'll bet." Serenity sighed. "What's this all about, Rod? Why'd you have me come here? What's so important?"

"I wanted to see how you felt about everything. I wanted to see just how much damage has been done to you. And- here's the main reason- I wanted to make sure you tell everything that happened at the trial. I know it'll be embarrassing for you, but you've got to tell them what I did to you."

"Why would you want me to do that? I thought criminals always tried to lie and cheat their way into getting off the hook. No one wants to be put in prison."

"Don't think of me as a criminal," Rodger told her. "And I _do_ want to be sent to prison."

Shocked, Serenity asked, "What? Why?" Then she added, "You're crazy, Rod!"

Rodger shook his head. "No," he told her, "you are. That is, you will be, if you don't do this. You have to tell them, or it will haunt you forever! You'll regret it for the rest of your life and you'll never forget how stupid you were. You have to do this, you hear me?! You're the only one who can make things right!"

Serenity hung her head. Rodger had raised his voice, yelling... yelling...

"You just don't get it, do you?! Think back to that day, Serenity! Now, look at me!"

The girl remained silent.

"I said look at me! Raise your head and look at me!"

Serenity looked at him.

"Serenity," Rodger said, his voice soft now, "I want to tell them because I deserve punishment. You said yourself that I was the worst of them all. You said that what happened is on your mind all the time. That explains why your dream has been recurring. If you get the thoughts and memories out of your mind, it'll go away, but if you continue to think about it constantly, the dream will haunt you forever. Here's what I think you should do: When the trial comes, you tie in your dream to what happened. Maybe it wasn't real, but it's real in your mind, isn't it?"

Serenity nodded.

"And that's close enough. You've been robbed of your innocence, you're devastated, lost, confused... You _HAVE_ to tell what happened. You have to get it all off of your chest. And, besides, I deserve to be sent away. I deserve punishment." Rodger hung his head in shame.

Serenity found herself staring into those inviting green eyes.

"I know I was wrong. I hurt you terribly. I've got to get what I deserve. Serenity, I really am sorry. I knew it was wrong when Takashi and Ryo presented their plan to me. But what could I do? I didn't think, Serenity. I didn't think, I just did it. But when I met you, you were so much different than I expected. You were so sweet and beautiful. Absolutely wonderful. I lost control of myself. Lust got the best of me. I know it's unforgivable, Serenity dear, but I apologize anyhow. I'm so incredibly sorry... When charges are held against me, I'm going to plead guilty. Yes. You go and tell them everything at the trial, and I'll plead guilty. If I do, then Ryo and Takashi will too, I know it. Then we'll all get what we deserve."

Serenity wiped the tears from her eyes.

"It all depends on you. You have to find the courage to talk. You have to fight the embarrassment. You have to be strong. I know you can do it, Serenity, and I know you'll do what's right."

Serenity stood up. She turned her back and slowly headed for the exit. _'Ryo and Takashi both say that I'm as sweet as honey,'_ Rodger had told her once. "As sweet as honey," she whispered. "Goodbye, honey-boy."

"What's that?" Rodger called. Obviously, he hadn't understood.

"Oh, never mind," Serenity answered. "It's nothing."


	14. The Trial

Chapter 14: The Trial

Serenity stared up at it. Big, beautiful, and somehow, powerful: The courthouse. A shiver went down her spine.

_"You can't be like this,"_ Duke had said. _"You can't hide it, no matter how terrible things were. Do you want to get those guys or not? If you do, then you're going to have to speak out against them, whether you're comfortable with it or not."_

Rodger had told her, _"You have to tell them, or it will haunt you forever! You'll regret it for the rest of your life and you'll never forget how stupid you were. You have to do this, you hear me?! You're the only one who can make things right!"_

Letting out a heavy sigh, she opened the large doors and entered the big building. What immediately caught her attention were the Kaiba brothers, Seto and Mokuba, sitting side by side. Seto had his arms crossed with a bitter expression on his face. His head was turned the other way; he couldn't see her. Mokuba, on the other hand, looked energetic and cheerful. A big smile came to his face as he waved to her.

Serenity smiled, waving back at him.

Mokuba tugged on his brother's shirt and whispered something to him. Serenity watched as Seto looked her way. He just watched her for a moment, then turned his head away.

It wasn't long before Serenity found herself standing up in front of everyone, ready to tell what happened. At least, she was _supposed_ to be ready, but her heart was beating fast. She was nearly shaking with nervousness as she stared out at all of the people...

"Serenity Wheeler."

The judge spoke to her. She looked to him.

"Tell us about that day; everything in detail."

Serenity stood there for a minute, silent.

"Serenity?" the judge inquired.

"Oh, um... yes, the three men," Serenity began shakily. "Ryo Matsuya, Takashi Hideo, and Rodger Wills." Her voice was trembling terribly. She quieted for a moment, thinking. She then straightened her posture, fighting off the trembles. She cleared her throat, beginning, "It all started a few weeks ago. I had a date with Seto Kaiba."

She bravely explained everything up until the point where Ryo and Takashi had left for the bar. Here, she came to an immediate halt. Her heart pounding in her chest, she just stood there, at a loss for words. She glanced nervously about the room. So many people...

"Rodger Wills..." she said softly. She looked in his direction. She stared at him for a moment, her heart beating faster and harder. She stared into those eyes of his, and he seemed to be looking into hers. Chocolate against a deep, emerald green...

"Rodger Wills," she repeated. "He was... He was the worst of them all!" She stopped again. Tears filled her eyes, but she fought desperately to keep them from falling. "See, my head was hurting from where Ryo had hit me with the gun. I told him, and Rodger got me some medicine for it. It made me drowsy, and I went to sleep. When I woke up, he was on top of me. He was on top of me, kissing me, and his hands were working with my shirt, unbuttoning it and trying to remove it... Rodger was... Well, he was... naked."

Looking out at the crowd, Serenity bit her bottom lip nervously. She noticed that Seto Kaiba was looking straight at her. Before, he'd had his head turned away, seeming as though he didn't care and wasn't even listening. But now he was looking straight at her, with a hint of concern in his icy blue eyes. She went on timidly, "I finally got out from under him, but... But even then things just got worse." Her tears were becoming nearly impossible to hold back. "He told me to kiss him. Fighting it was senseless because I knew that he'd force me to do it if I resisted, so... Well, you know... I kissed him. On the lips. I had to! I had to... _I had to._ But when my lips met his, Rodger put his hands behind my head and held it there. He was forcing it. He was pushing so hard, and right against the spot where Ryo hit me with the gun. It hurt. But I couldn't scream or cry or anything. I couldn't do anything... but keep kissing him."

Her heart was pounding so hard... and her tears had come. They had come, streaming down her cheeks; it was uncontrollable. Just telling that much had been a great task. She stood there for a minute or two, silent, wondering how she would ever be able to tell what happened next. Memories of her horrid dream filled her mind, and she remembered what Rodger had told her before:

_"Here's what I think you should do: When the trial comes, you tie in your dream to what happened."_

She thought about it. The dream hadn't been real, but it certainly seemed it, and yet... She looked at Rodger, and suddenly filled with anger_. 'I'm not going to let a silly dream get the best of me,'_ she told herself, _'and I'm not going to be afraid! I'm strong, I can do this...'_

"So," she continued, "he started to undress me. Not fully. There was nothing I could do about it. He took off my shirt and pants, and then he kept kissing me. Not just that. He was licking me and touching me too. He forced me to keep returning his kisses, and finally... it stopped. He got dressed, and just left me lying on the bed. I was devastated."

Rodger. By the looks of it, he was shocked. There was something in his emerald eyes that told Serenity that he had wanted her to tell the people about the dream. Something told her that he had wanted her to say that he had stripped her of all her clothing and forced her to have sex with him. Yes, that's what he wanted, and she knew. Maybe he could be charming, but he perverted; his mind ever so sick and twisted...

She continued bravely. She told the rest of the story, stopping at the point where she fainted in Kaiba's arms.

* * *

It took a little over a week to get everything settled. Everyone- Yugi, Joey, Mai, Tea, Bakura, Duke, Tristan, and even Kaiba- had to say something at least and there needed to be proof. Evidence wasn't hard to find and not much was needed. Finally, the three of them- Ryo, Takashi, and Rodger- were sent off to prison, Rodger having to serve the longest time.


	15. Denial

Chapter 15: Denial

A month had passed since the trial. The six of them- Yugi Muto, Joey Wheeler, Bakura Ryou, Tristan Taylor, Tea Gardner, and Duke Devlin- were sitting together, having lunch. Only a few hours of school left.

"Say, Bakura," Tea said, "what's up? You ok? You look a little blue."

Bakura, who had been toying with his food, looked up. He replied simply, "I'm thinking."

"About what?" Yugi inquired.

"Serenity..."

Joey looked to his friend. "Yeah?"

Bakura frowned. "I was thinking about what those men did to her. Just thinking about how much they hurt her and... I can't help but remember how I had been right there. I was _right there, _with her on my lap, and I failed to recognize her. I failed to recognize a friend, right when I was needed most. I could've prevented the whole thing. I could've saved her from the pain and suffering..."

Tea put an arm around him, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "Bakura," she said, "it's been more than a month since that happened. Don't beat yourself up about it. You did what you could. Besides, you were a real help in the trial, having witnessed that."

"But..."

"It's over now, Bakura. Let it go. Everything's ok now. You did what you could. Remember that. It's fine now."

"I hope so," he said with a sigh.

"Tea's right," Yugi told him. "You don't need to worry about it anymore. Everything's gonna turn out all right, I think. But I'm kinda worried about Kaiba."

Everyone looked at Yugi in surprised.

"Really. I am. I've been watching him," he explained. "He's just not acting like himself. Look at him." He gestured to a table at the other end of the cafeteria. "See that? He's all by himself."

"What's so strange about that?" Tristan asked. "Kaiba's always by himself."

"But _look _at him! At least he used to eat. But look. Kaiba's got a whole plate of food there, but hasn't even touched it."

"Maybe he just doesn't like the school's food," Joey suggested. "I wouldn't blame him!"

"No guys," Yugi said, shaking his head. "Take a closer look at him. Does he look a little white to you? I think Kaiba's sick or something. He's been like that for a while now."

Joey shrugged. "Hey," he said, "it's not my problem. If he's sick, tell him to go to the doctor. Nothing he can't afford, that's for sure."

"You all just don't see it, do you? What about you, Duke?"

Duke rolled his eyes. "Yugi, why do you care? Think about all the things Kaiba's done to you. He hasn't exactly been what you'd call nice. Do you think he'd care if the same thing happened to you? I doubt it. He's heartless."

"I'll take that as a no. Well, if none of you are going to do anything about it, I will!" Yugi stood up. "I'm going over there to talk to him."

"Wait!" Tea called. "I'll go with you."

Yugi smiled. "Good," he said.

The two of them soon joined Seto Kaiba at a round table.

"Hey, Kaiba!" Yugi exclaimed cheerfully.

"Hello," Tea said quietly.

Kaiba studied them for a minute. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked them.

"We're here to give you a little company," Yugi told him.

"Who said I wanted any?"

"You looked lonely," Tea explained.

Kaiba grunted.

After a short silence, Yugi asked, "Are you feeling well, Kaiba?"

He didn't answer.

"You look kind of sickly," Tea added.

"I'm fine," Kaiba snapped.

"Um... hello there," came a timid voice.

Kaiba sighed in disgust. Although the voice had come from behind him, he knew who it was. "Sit down, Ryou."

Bakura sat next to Kaiba.

"I suppose you're thinking there's something wrong with me too?"

"Well," Bakura said shyly, "from the looks of it, yes. You're so pale."

"And you haven't been eating," Yugi added.

"Hmph." Kaiba folded his arms angrily. "I'm perfectly well, for your information, and I don't want to hear another word about it."

"At least eat a little something," Bakura told him.

"You looking for trouble, Ryou?"

Bakura sank back in his chair.

"Listen you three," Kaiba said, "if you don't want to believe me, then don't. But I'm fine, and I don't need any company. I'd appreciate it if you'd just leave me alone."

"Eat something, Kaiba," Bakura said, "and we'll leave."

"Ryou," Kaiba growled.

Tea took Bakura's hand and pulled him up with her as she stood. "C'mon, Bakura," she whispered. "Let's go." She motioned for Yugi to stand, and the three of them left. They returned to where they had originally been sitting, back with Joey, Tristan, and Duke.

"So," Duke said, "how'd it go?"

"He's certainly the same bitter Kaiba I've always known," Tea answered.

"Yes," Bakura agreed.

"Personally," Yugi said, "I think he's in denial. I really do think Kaiba's got something wrong with him. I should've known he'd do that though. Hmm..."

* * *

That evening, Joey went to the marketplace, along with Serenity, to do some shopping.

"So, sis," he said, putting an arm around his beloved sister, "anything I can get ya? If you see something you want, just tell me."

She looked around. "There's not much. Hmm... Tell you what. I'm gonna go over there and look, ok?" She pointed to where she'd be going.

"Sure thing."

The girl went off, looking around at everything. Though it was true that there wasn't anything especially interesting, she found it fun to look at things. Suddenly, she came upon some jewelry: Necklaces, rings, and others, with real diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. _'Wow,'_ she thought as she stared at them. _'If only we could afford something like that. They're all so beautiful...'_ She then backed away slowly, bumping into someone. She turned around in a rush, exclaiming, "Oh, I'm so sorry!"

There was a sack of groceries spilled on the floor, a young man bending down to gather them...

Serenity got down beside him, and began helping to pick up the things. She looked up then, staring into a pair of blue eyes. "Seto."

He didn't say anything. As the girl handed him his dropped belongings, he told her, "Thanks."

It had been so bitter. A frown came to the girl's face. "It's been a while," she whispered.

"Yeah," he said simply.

Serenity stared at the ground for a moment, searching for something to say. "So," she finally said, "how are you?"

"I suppose you've got the same crazy idea in your head as all your other friends," Kaiba muttered.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Serenity asked.

"Well, Serenity, I'm fine, thank you, and if you'll excuse me, I've got to get on my way."

With that, he left.

* * *

It was late in the night. Kaiba sat at his computer in his home office, typing away madly. There was a soft knock on the door. "Come in!" he called.

Mokuba entered the room. "Seto," he said quietly, "you should come to bed."

"You're supposed to be asleep."

"I know, but I'm not tired. I've been thinking about you."

Kaiba kept working with his computer.

"You've been working too hard. Every day, you go straight from school to Kaiba Corp. and work there for hours. Then, when you're done there, you come home and do more work here. It's too much."

"There's no such thing as working too much or too hard."

"Seto, please..."

"Please what?"

"You've got to take a break. _Please._ I'm worried about you."

"Not you too! That's all I've gotten today!"

"Well, I've got the right to be concerned. You haven't been eating, and you've been staying up really late, and you're working way too much. You _have_ to take a break now, Seto."

"Mokuba," Kaiba said softly, "I took a break from work once, and you know what I got from it? Something terrible. A girl was hurt; sexually abused and almost put to death. Yeah, I took a break from work once to go over things to myself and it just so happened that some people overheard it. I took a break from work once, and did absolutely nothing, and they saw that as a threat. They took Serenity away from me and hurt her, nearly killed her, and why? Because I took a break from work. I'm not going to let it happen again, Mokuba."

Mokuba sighed. "I just hope you know what you're doing," he said as he left the room.

"Goodnight, Mokuba," Kaiba called to him.

"Goodnight, Seto..."


	16. Getting the Scoop

Chapter 16: Getting the Scoop

Serenity Wheeler bit her bottom lip nervously. She swallowed hard, not believing what she was about to do. She stood at the door of the Kaiba Mansion.

Something inside had told her to come here, but for what? She didn't know. _'What am I doing?'_ she asked herself. She looked over her shoulder, wondering if she should just head for home. She shook her head. She was here for a reason, she knew that much, but the reason was unclear to her. She sighed, then raised her hand, knocking on the large door. It slowly opened...

"Serenity!" came an excited voice.

Before she knew what was going on, little Mokuba Kaiba had grabbed her hand and pulled her inside.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, but didn't give her time to answer before continuing, "Gosh, it's good to see you! It's been so long!" He threw his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "Seto and I were really worried about you after the trial. You went through a lot more than I could've ever imagined. I'm so sorry about that, Serenity."

Serenity smiled, placing a hand on the boy's head. "Slow down there, Mokuba. Hey, it's not your fault. Please don't worry. I'm ok."

Mokuba let go of her. The excitement and happiness suddenly vanished from him. "You're here to see Seto, aren't you?" he asked.

She stood there for a moment, silent, then nodded, saying, "I guess so."

A frown appeared on his face. "He's not here," Mokuba answered. "He's at Kaiba Corp. He goes there every day after school and works, hour after hour." He let out a long sigh. "I apologize," he said, bowing to her. "It's just... Seto has such big plans."

"I see..."

"Did you come here to get back together with him?" Mokuba asked hopefully.

She thought for a moment. "No," she answered. "I just wanted to talk to him."

"Oh..." Mokuba's disappointment was obvious. There was a short silence, then he told her, "Seto doesn't have much free time anymore. Between school and his plans for Kaiba Corp., he just can't find any time on his hands. He's been working really hard lately. I don't know when you could possibly talk to him. If I find something out, I'll tell you, ok?"

Serenity nodded. "Thanks, Mokuba," she said, smiling.

* * *

The weekend rolled around before anyone knew it, and Yugi, along with Joey- who had brought along Mai and Serenity- Bakura, Tea, and Tristan, soon found himself lounging around in the park. He sat on a bench in between Bakura and Tea, while Mai and Joey were off taking a stroll and Tristan and Serenity sat at a nearby picnic table, chatting. He turned to Bakura and Tea. "I was thinking about Kaiba..."

"Don't," Tea interrupted him. "He's fine. He said so himself."

"But Tea," Yugi said stubbornly, "he was just saying that. Kaiba's afraid to admit something's troubling him."

"You know," Bakura said, "I agree with Yugi. He looked sickly after all. Kaiba is the kind of guy who wouldn't want anyone knowing if there was something wrong with him."

Yugi nodded. "Exactly, but, somehow, we've got to get it out of him. Kaiba needs help."

"No, no, no," Tea said. "You're not going to suggest we try to help out Kaiba, are you?"

A big grin came across Yugi's face.

Tea sighed. "No way, Yugi. There's just no way I'm gonna try to help Seto Kaiba. I'm sorry."

Yugi looked to Bakura hopefully. "What about you?" he asked.

He seemed a little clueless. "Hmm...? What do you want me to do about it, Yugi?"

"Why don't we just try talking to him? Who knows, maybe we can get it out of Kaiba. But we're never gonna find out if we don't try."

"You guys go ahead," Tea told them, "but you won't be getting any help from me."

"We're not going now. Right, Yugi?" Bakura asked.

Yugi shook his head. "No. Tonight. For now, we're just gonna kick back here and relax..." He shut his eyes, and dozed off before long.

Tea glanced over at her sleeping friend, then over at shy, quiet Bakura. "Say, Bakura..."

He looked over at her. "Yes, Tea?" he inquired.

"I think I'm gonna go talk to Serenity, ok?"

"Sure thing."

She hopped up from her bench and went to where Tristan and Serenity were sitting. "Hey guys," she called cheerfully. She then put a hand on Serenity's shoulder, saying, "You wouldn't mind if I borrow her for a minute, would you?"

"Nah, go ahead!" Tristan replied. "Just make sure to bring her back."

"I want you to walk with me," Tea told Serenity.

When they were a decent distance from the others, Serenity asked, "What's this all about, Tea?"

"I wanted to know if you're ok," Tea answered. "You know, after everything that happened to you."

"I'm recovering. It's taken me a long time to heal."

"I can understand that." Tea put an arm around Serenity. "Listen, I want you to know that, whenever you need me, I'm here for you. Ok? If there's ever something wrong you can always come to me. I'll always be here to help you."

Serenity smiled happily. "Thanks, Tea. I'm so lucky to have such good friends!"

"So... um... what ever happened with you and Kaiba?"

Serenity seemed reluctant to answer.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind them: "Hey, what's going on over here?"

It was Mai. "I saw you two walk off together," she explained, "and I knew it had to be something important."

"We're just having a little girl talk," Tea told her.

"Hey, mind if I join in?"

Both of them shook their heads.

"Good! So what exactly are we talking about?"

"Tea asked me about Seto..." Serenity answered quietly.

"Yeah?" Mai asked. "I've been wondering about that too."

Serenity answered, her voice a soft whisper, "I had to stop seeing him. Joey told me he thought Seto might've been behind the whole thing that happened. He said Seto was dangerous. I wanted to believe Joey, so, you know, I did what I had to do. I told Seto I couldn't see him anymore. But that was a long time ago. Now that we've had the trial, I really do think Joey was lying to me. I guess he was doing what he thought was best. He really is the greatest brother, even if he lied to me."

"I heard about that," Mai told her. "Don't worry about it, hon. What you've got to do is put it all behind you. You can't dwell on the past."

"I've learned that..."

"So, I'm guessing that you don't really like Kaiba anymore?" Tea asked.

Serenity was silent. Finally, she answered, "I don't know. Why should I? Kaiba's not... He's just not my type."

Mai rolled her eyes in disgust. "C'mon, Serenity, don't make up excuses. You obviously thought he was fine before."

"That was then, this is now. Seto and I are both very different people."

"Then why don't you answer the question?" Tea asked. "There is no 'maybe' or 'I don't know'. It's either yes or no. So, which is it?"

"I talked to him the other day," Serenity began, avoiding Tea's question. "It was at the market place. He didn't exactly seem happy to see me. I think he still might've been mad about me getting rid of him. We haven't talked in over a month."

"Well, what exactly did he say?" Mai questioned in interest.

"Not much. But he did mention something... Hmm... Let's see... I said to him, 'How are you?' and he replied, 'you've got the same crazy idea as your friends' or something like that. I didn't know what in the world he was talking about."

Tea began to fidget. "I know what he was talking about..."

"What?" Serenity asked.

"Yugi, Bakura, and I talked to him at school the other day. He was sitting all by himself. He wasn't eating, even though he had food, and he was really pale. He looked pretty bad, and Yugi was worried about him. So, I guess he was offended. He must've thought you were doing the same thing the three of us did."

"I hope he's ok..."

Mai told Serenity, "Now, answer the question. Do you like him or not?"

Serenity looked at Mai, then Tea. She thought for a moment. "I can't say that I don't," she answered, then added, "but I can't say that I do either."

Mai and Tea exchanged glances.

"She likes him," they both said at the same time, nodding.

"I knew it!" Mai exclaimed. "Why don't you go tell him?"

Serenity shook her head. "No, guys, really. I don't... And Joey..."

"Who cares about Joey? Forget Joey!" Mai interrupted.

"No, Mai," Serenity said firmly. "I'm not going to do anything."

* * *

Bakura stared up at the dark black sky, with all its bright stars and the big silver moon... "You sure we should be doing this?" he asked, looking to Yugi Muto, who stood beside him.

"I'm certain," Yugi replied as he knocked on the door of the Kaiba Mansion.

They had to wait a minute before someone came to the door. A very tired looking Mokuba Kaiba let them in.

Mokuba yawned. "Hey guys. What brings you here?"

"We came to talk to Kaiba," Yugi answered.

"He's working."

"What?" Bakura questioned. "At this hour?"

"This is nothing," Mokuba told him. "Sometimes he stays up passed midnight."

"That's no good," Bakura said.

"No, it's not," Yugi agreed. "You think he'll let us talk to him for a minute, Mokuba?"

Mokuba shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe. He's in his office. Follow me." He led Yugi and Bakura to his brother's office. "Well, here we are. Good luck." With that, he left.

The door was unlocked. Yugi slowly and quietly opened it...

"Don't you ever knock, Mokuba?!" Kaiba yelled from where he was sitting. His back was turned to them. He was hard at work at his computer. "And haven't I told you not to interrupt me when I'm working?!"

"Well, gosh, do you always yell at your little brother like that?" Bakura asked.

"What?!" Kaiba stood up and turned around. "What in the hell are you two doing here?!"

"We just want to talk," Yugi said calmly.

"Can't you see that I'm busy?!"

"It's important," Bakura told him.

"Make it quick," Kaiba said as he sat back down in his chair. He turned back to the computer and began typing.

"I know there's something wrong," Yugi said. "Don't deny it, Kaiba. I just wanna help you. I can't help if you don't let me know what's wrong."

"I don't need your help," Kaiba replied simply, still typing.

"Come on, Kaiba. I'm concerned."

"Don't be."

"Yugi," Bakura whispered so that Kaiba couldn't hear, "I don't think this is going to get anywhere."

"Please, Kaiba..." Yugi pleaded.

"I'm fine. Now leave, and let me work."

Yugi raised his voice. "No! I want you to stop hiding things! I know there's something wrong, now tell me what it is! It's got something to do with Serenity, doesn't it?!"

The young CEO stopped typing immediately.

"Doesn't it?" Yugi repeated, his voice softer.

Kaiba turned to face them, but didn't say a word.

"You care about her, Kaiba?" Bakura asked, grinning.

"Shut up, Ryou!" Kaiba snapped. He glared at Yugi, then asked, "What makes you think Serenity has anything to do with this?"

"First of all," Yugi began, "what exactly is _'this'?"_ He chuckled. "See? In a way, you just kind of admitted a little something."

Kaiba made a fist. "Damn."

"Now that we've actually got something going, why don't you tell me what 'this' is?"

Kaiba didn't say anything.

"Come on, Kaiba. I can help you if you'd just let me."

Kaiba turned back to his computer. "Leave," he said sternly, "both of you. Get out of here, and stay away from me. There's nothing you can do. I can handle this by myself."

Yugi and Bakura left the room silently.

"Well?" came a voice, belonging to none other than Mokuba.

Yugi sighed, shaking his head. "Talking to Kaiba is useless..."

"What'd you want?" Mokuba asked. "Maybe I can help you."

Bakura replied, "We came here to try to help Kaiba. Seems as though he's got something wrong with him; something troubling him."

"Say, would you happen to know anything about it?" Yugi asked.

Mokuba shrugged. "Seto's really...out of it. He won't eat." He frowned. "And he's working too much. Feels like he's never home anymore, and even when he is, he's always hard at work in his office."

"Does it have anything to do with Serenity?" Yugi questioned.

"I think so," Mokuba told him. "Seto mentioned something about how taking off time from work caused the whole thing that happened to her, so he wanted to work hard so it'd never happen again. Yeah, I'll bet anything that he feels like everything's his fault and he's trying to make up for it. There's nothing I can do though. He won't listen to me. I've been telling him to eat something and take a break from work, but it doesn't do any good."

"Hmm..." Yugi thought for a moment. "Thank you, Mokuba," he said finally. "Don't worry about it. My friends and I will keep trying to help Kaiba. Isn't that right, Bakura?" He nudged his friend gently.

Bakura nodded. "Yes, yes. Definitely."

Mokuba smiled. "Thanks a lot you guys!"


	17. Joey's Confession

Chapter 17: Joey's Confession

At lunch the next day, Yugi whispered to Tea excitedly, "We found out something about Kaiba!"

Tea listened in interest as he continued, "Kaiba wouldn't tell us much, but we got some information from Mokuba: Kaiba's overworked. From the way Mokuba was talking, it seemed as though Kaiba just won't stop. Just work, work, work, work twenty-four seven. He said the problem probably has something to do with Serenity; said Kaiba feels responsible for everything that happened to her or something like that."

"I see," Tea said. "Well, what should we do?"

"I'm not quite sure... Got any bright ideas, Bakura?" He looked to Bakura Ryou hopefully.

Bakura shrugged. "Nope," he said, "I'm not sure what we should do."

The three of them thought and thought, but had a hard time coming up with anything.

Finally, Tea got an idea. "I'm going to tell Serenity," she said. "Who knows? Maybe she can make a difference!"

That afternoon...

Tea tapped Serenity on the shoulder. The surprised girl turned around in a rush.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Hey, Tea!"

Tea smiled. "Hi, Serenity," she greeted cheerfully.

"I was just on my way home," Serenity explained. "Joey's going on a date with Mai... He usually walks home with me. I'm so glad you came, Tea. I'm all alone!"

"Hey, it's no problem," Tea told her. "I want to talk to you though... about Kaiba."

Serenity stopped walking. "I told you already," she said, disgusted, "I don't like him!"

"No, that's not it," Tea said. "He's pretty sick, Serenity."

"What's wrong with him?" Serenity questioned.

"Yugi and Bakura went to talk to him last night," Tea explained. "They both said he looked terrible. I'd have to say that I agree. Kaiba looks really sickly. Yugi and Bakura said that what's got him so sick is that he's working too much. And what's worse is that he won't eat anything. He won't do anything but work."

"Gosh," Serenity said, "I hope he'll be ok. I wonder why he's been working so hard lately? And why won't he eat?"

"Oh, I don't know," Tea said, putting an arm around Serenity. "Maybe he feels guilty about some things and wants to make up for them."

"Maybe..."

"So, what are you going to do, Serenity?"

"What do you mean?" Serenity asked. "There's nothing I can do."

"Aren't you concerned about him?"

"Of course I'm concerned! It's just... I don't think there's anything I can do for him. Maybe he's just going through a phase and will come out of it in a few days." She shrugged. "Believe me, I would help Seto if I could. I doubt he wants me around, Tea. I just really doubt he wants to see me... _EVER."_

"Why do you think that?" Tea asked.

"I don't know..."

* * *

Joey Wheeler slowly ran his fingers through Mai Valentine's hair. "You know I love you, don't you?" he asked.

She nodded.

Joey took the young woman's face in his hands and brought it to his. He kissed her, then smiled. When Mai had no reaction, he became concerned. "What's the matter, babe?" he asked.

"I was talking to Serenity and Tea the other day," she explained, "and... I think there's something you really need to do."

"And what might that be?"

"You need to admit that you lied to Serenity. You need to apologize too. She's your sister, Joey. It's the right thing to do."

"Yeah, I guess..."

Mai added, "And you need to tell her about Kaiba."

That surprised him. "Huh? What about Kaiba?" he asked.

"Tell her about the fight. As of right now, she has no idea it even happened, does she?"

Joey shook his head.

"You have to tell her about it, and you have to tell her what Kaiba said."

He thought for a moment. "You mean how he said he loved her?" he asked.

"That's right."

"Mai, baby, that was a long time ago..."

"What difference does it make?!" Mai shoved Joey away from her. "Serenity's your sister, and she loves you with all her heart. You can't hide things like that from her!"

Joey rolled his eyes. "Gosh, don't get all upset over it."

"Listen, Joey," Mai said, "I love you, and I only want you to do the right thing. Hiding stuff like that from Serenity is _not _the right thing."

"Fine, I'll tell her about the fight, but why should I tell her what Kaiba said?"

"Think about it. The only reason Kaiba didn't fight back that day was because of Serenity. She needs to know all these things."

Joey didn't say anything.

"And you might wanna tell her that Kaiba's the one that gave you that busted lip."

"You really think I should tell her, Mai?" Joey questioned.

"Yes," Mai answered, "I really do."

"Then I'll tell her."

"Good," Mai said, patting Joey on the back.

* * *

A couple days later, Mai Valentine found herself on a date with Joey Wheeler again. They were at a restaurant. Casually and quietly she asked him, "So, have you talked to Serenity yet?"

The question seemed to shake him. He was reluctant in answering, but finally said, "No."

"How come?"

Joey made sure not to make eye contact with the young woman as he said, "In all honesty, Mai, I don't intend to."

"Joey," Mai said as she reached across the table, taking his hand in hers, "you've got to. You told me you would."

"I know, but... but I can't bring myself to do it. I don't want to."

"Is it because you're afraid?"

"Not really," Joey answered. "It's more because of Kaiba. Think of what could happen if I tell Serenity he said he loved her!"

Mai looked at him questioningly.

"I don't wanna do it, Mai. I love Serenity, and I don't want her to go messing around with Seto Kaiba. In my mind, he's the worst possible thing for her. He's mean and cruel and heartless and he could hurt her. I just wanna protect her. Ya know, that day when we fought, I really believed that Kaiba might've tried to kill her. I was afraid... You know, afraid for Serenity."

"I understand, Joey."

"Then why do you keep insisting that I tell her?"

Mai smiled. "You have nothing to be afraid of," she answered sweetly. "Kaiba's not as heartless as you think. I keep remembering that day when we rescued her. Serenity wanted him to hold her, Joey. She wanted to have him by her side, and when he was, did he look cruel to you? Was holding her and comforting her when she needed him cruel?"

No answer.

"Joey," Mai said, "the decision is yours. I'm not going to force you to tell Serenity, but at least consider it. Think long and hard about it. You know the right thing to do."

Joey nodded.

* * *

"What do you want, Joey?" Serenity asked curiously as her big brother pulled her aside after school the next day.

"I wanna talk to you," he answered simply.

"Oh, this sounds important!"

"It is. We gotta go somewhere private. Your place fine? I haven't seen Mom in a while anyhow."

"Is that what this is about?" Serenity asked. "You want to see Mother?"

"No, I've got something very serious to talk to you about, and we've got to go some place where we can have privacy."

Before long, the two siblings stood in Serenity's room of her small apartment. The door was shut tight.

"Ok, tell me," Serenity said, sitting on her bed.

Joey sat next to her. He put an arm around her and pulled her close to him. "I've been hiding something from you," he told her.

"Oh..."

"It's about Kaiba."

"Seto?" Serenity questioned.

"That's right."

They sat in silence for a moment, then Serenity whispered, "Tell me."

"Did you see how beat up he was right after we rescued you? Did you see him?"

Serenity nodded. "Yeah. He said the injuries were from the fight with Rod, Ryo, and Takashi."

"A lie."

Serenity looked at her brother in disbelief.

"Yep," he said, "that was a lie. I did it, Serenity. I did it to him."

She gasped.

"That's right. I did it cause I thought he was dangerous. I was afraid he was out to murder you or something. So I went up to him and just... beat him. Badly."

There was no response, so Joey continued, "Kaiba didn't fight back. He's the kinda guy that you'd expect would actually like a good fight every now and then, but he didn't fight me. I thought it was cause he was afraid or something, but that wasn't the case."

"Why wouldn't he fight?" Serenity asked quietly.

"Man, you are not gonna believe this... He said it was because of you."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. Kaiba said he wouldn't fight back cause he cared about you and he... Well, Kaiba said he... um... uh... He said he loved you."

The girl was shocked.

There was another silence. "I didn't believe it," Joey finally said. "It was a shock to me too. Kaiba finally got some sense later on, and he's the one that gave me the busted lip."

"Kaiba said he loved me?" Serenity asked, her voice very soft.

"That he did, sis!"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I... Ya know, I was protecting you. I was protecting you. I thought-"

Serenity interrupted him. "It's ok. But... did he really? Kaiba said he loved me?"

"Yep."

"Seto loves me," Serenity whispered, unaware that she'd said it aloud.

"Used to anyway," Joey commented. "Don't know about that now."

"But he really said that? You're not just making this whole thing up? Seto really didn't fight you, all because he loved me? It's all true?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, Serenity."

"So am I..."

"Huh?"

"Seto..."

Joey took a close look at her. Serenity seemed a little out of it. There was a distant look about her eyes. He waved a hand in front of her. "Anyone in there?!"

Serenity immediately slapped his hand away. She hopped up, exclaiming, "I have to go talk to Seto!"


	18. Sincere Apologies

Chapter 18: Sincere Apologies

She banged on the front door of the Kaiba Mansion furiously. When the door swung open, she rushed inside yelling, "Please tell me Seto's here!"

Mokuba stood beside her, bewildered. "What's up, Serenity?"

She looked at the boy, eyes wide. "I have to talk to Seto!" she exclaimed.

"You're in luck," Mokuba told her. "He's here this time." He smiled. "Up in his office, of course. It's-"

"I know," Serenity interrupted. She rushed up to Kaiba's office and threw the door open in a desperate rush. "Seto!"

She'd startled him. "What the...?"

"Seto!" she exclaimed again.

"What do _you_ want?" he questioned, glaring at the girl.

"Seto..." She bit her bottom lip. "Seto, stop. Stop working, and I mean NOW."

"You can't tell me what to do," Kaiba said stubbornly.

"Oh, Seto, please... Please, please, please."

He looked into her big, brown eyes, then stood. "Ok," he said, "but make this quick. I've got things to do." He crossed his arms.

Serenity looked over him for a minute. "Seto, you look terrible," she said.

"Well, thanks for the nice compliment," Kaiba told her sarcastically.

"I was told you were sickly, but I never imagined you to look like this..."

Kaiba grunted. "Yugi and all his little friends have been talking to you, haven't they?" he asked, although he knew the answer.

Serenity nodded. "They're concerned, and so am I. Seeing you like this is horrifying."

"Yeah, well, get to the point, girl," Kaiba told her. "I don't have all day." His eyes narrowed.

The look he was giving her was piercing and entirely cold; it sent a shiver down her spine. "Seto," she whispered. "I... I just wanted to tell you..." She couldn't seem to finish.

"Mm-hmm... Tell me what?"

"To tell you that... Well..."

"Come on!" Kaiba yelled bitterly. "I don't have time for this!"

Tears filled her eyes as she rushed up to Seto, throwing her arms around him. "I'm so sorry, Seto!" she blurted out.

"Really now?" Kaiba asked, smirking.

"Yes!" Serenity cried. "Yes! I'm sorry, Seto. So, so sorry. Forgive me!"

"Sorry is only a word," Kaiba told her coldly. "A word alone isn't going to get you anywhere. A mere word can't fix the damage that's been done. Sometimes 'sorry' just doesn't cut it. Apologies mean nothing."

"Oh Seto... I really am sorry. I didn't know, Seto. I didn't know."

"Didn't know what?"

She looked up at his pale face, whispering, "Joey told me about the fight you guys had. He told me about how you wouldn't fight back because of me. He told me what you said. I never knew. If I'd known how you felt I never would've done what I did to you. I never would've thrown your roses back; I never would've gotten rid of you. I'm so sorry."

Kaiba replied bitterly, "You should be."

Serenity remained where she was, still holding Kaiba tightly, still crying. "Can you ever forgive me?" she asked.

He didn't answer the question, but snapped instead, "Quit your crying."

She couldn't. The tears, in fact, came harder after that.

They stood in silence for several minutes. Kaiba thought about what was happening, slowly taking in all in. Serenity still wept, and was squeezing him even tighter than before.

"I really am sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean it, Seto. I didn't mean it. I didn't know how you felt. I didn't know you loved me."

Kaiba sighed with annoyance. "Don't cry."

"I feel so guilty. I feel wrong and ashamed." She laid her head on Kaiba's chest. "I did a terrible thing," she went on, "and I'm so sorry."

"I know."

"I'm sorry," Serenity repeated.

"What good does it do? It doesn't change what happened. I'm sorry for some things too. I'm sorry for getting you into that whole mess with Rodger, Ryo, and Takashi. If it wasn't for me not concentrating on my work, it never would've happened. But the simple word 'sorry' doesn't change the fact that you had to be put through those things. It doesn't change the pain and suffering. It doesn't erase the memories. 'Sorry' alone can't heal the damage."

"What happened wasn't your fault."

The young CEO was silent.

"It wasn't," Serenity assured him. "You have nothing to be sorry about. While it's true that apologizing isn't going to erase all the things that have happened... Well, let's just say that if the apology comes from the heart, it's much more than just a bunch of words. If it comes from the heart and it's genuine, it can do a lot more than you think. It can mean a lot more too. And I'll assure you, Seto, that I mean it when I say that I'm sorry."

"So do I," Kaiba told her, "and I'm going to make sure that you never have to go through something like that again."

"Thank you," Serenity said softly. "I hope that someday you'll be able to accept my apology and forgive me." Sadly, she let go of Kaiba. She turned her back to him and slowly headed on her way. She found herself before the large door of the Kaiba mansion before long, ready to exit through it, when she felt a tug on her shirt...

"Why are you crying, Serenity?" came a sweet, innocent voice.

Serenity looked over her shoulder, finding little Mokuba Kaiba behind her. "It's nothing," she fibbed.

"I'm sorry..." Mokuba whispered.

"What in the world for?" Serenity asked, confused.

"...if Seto hurt you."

"Oh, Mokuba." She placed a hand on the boy's head.

"He doesn't understand his own feelings sometimes," Mokuba told her.

Serenity sighed. "Bye, Mokuba," she said, ruffling his hair. "I'll... see ya later."

"Are you gonna be ok?"

With a sniffle and a sob, she nodded. With that, she opened the door and stepped outside, quietly shutting the door behind her. Wistfully, she spent a few moments staring up at the Kaiba mansion. She let out another heavy sigh, then turned and slowly began to walk away.

"Serenity! Serenity!"

There was a hand on her shoulder.

"Serenity..."

It was Seto.

"Don't go," he pleaded.

"You came," Serenity said, astounded. "I was hoping you would. Listen... I _really _didn't mean to do those things to you-"

"Everybody makes mistakes."

"-and I'm sorry."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "I wish you'd quit saying that already," he said, "cause I've already forgiven you."

"Oh, you mean it, Seto?" Serenity asked, looking into his blue eyes. "You really mean it?"

"Yes."

Serenity squeezed him tightly. Her tears continued to fall.

Kaiba took his hand and wiped away the girl's tears. "Don't cry," he said softly. "If it helps at all..." He paused. He quieted for a minute, then went on, "I still love you."

Serenity stared into his eyes. "Seto," she said, smiling, "I love you too." Then, for the first time, she saw a light in his eyes she'd never seen before. There was a smile on his face too. For the first time, Seto Kaiba was really, genuinely happy.

Kaiba held her closer to him, and then took her face in his hands, tilting it upward. He gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. "I love you," he said afterward.

Serenity just smiled at him.

"But..."

"But what, Seto?"

A frown came to Kaiba's face. "There's something I have to tell you, Serenity..."


	19. Last Moments

Chapter 19: Last Moments

"What is it, Seto?" Serenity asked curiously.

"Oh, Serenity," Kaiba said, still frowning. Shutting his eyes, he gave the girl another kiss. Then he went on, "I won't be here much longer."

She gasped. "What? Why?"

Kaiba seemed a little uncomfortable. He wouldn't answer.

"Seto, are you sick?" Serenity questioned worriedly.

"No, no, that's not it."

"Please just tell me you're ok!"

"I'm fine, really," Kaiba told her. "See, the problem is..." He paused. After a moment, he continued, "I'm leaving the country."

"What for?"

Kaiba sighed. "I have to see about a location for another Kaiba Land," he said.

"Kaiba Land?"

"Yes, my amusement park."

"I know."

"Ever since Battle City ended, it's been my dream," Kaiba explained. "It's not just another amusement park. Kaiba Land is a place for orphans. Mokuba and I used to live in an orphanage, you know."

Serenity nodded, saying, "Yes."

"So I know. I know what the kids have to go through. I know what's like to live as an orphan. I understand them. I created Kaiba Land as a place for orphans; a special place for them so that they can get away and have some fun for once."

Serenity smiled. "That's great, Seto."

"Yes, and that's why I'm placing my parks all over the world. I'm going to give them hope and happiness."

Serenity raised her hands to Kaiba's face, then kissed him passionately. "Seto," she whispered afterward, "I've never heard you say something so sweet."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow in question.

"Doing something like that for orphans is really sweet."

"Yeah, well..."

"When will you be leaving, Seto?"

Frowning, Kaiba answered, "I've only got a week left."

"And how long will you be gone?"

"A month, maybe two. There are a few different locations I've taken into consideration, and I need to see about them. I've got to consult with a few businessmen too."

"Then you don't have much time left here," Serenity concluded, "and it will be a long time before I get to see you again."

"That's right," Kaiba told her, "so we've got to make the best of what little time we have."

The next day...

SETO x SERENITY.

Slowly, Seto Kaiba ran his fingers across the letters. Smiling, he put an arm around Serenity Wheeler, pulling her close to him.

"I think it's missing something," Serenity said softly.

"Hmm?"

"That's why I brought this." Serenity pulled out a knife, grinning. "We're going to set this right."

Unable to understand, Kaiba asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Ryo's carving." Still grinning, the girl began carving into the tree... "There! That's better!" she exclaimed finally.

Kaiba observed what she had done. The carving now read:

SETO x SERENITY 4EVER.

"Seto and Serenity forever," Kaiba whispered.

"Mm-hmm! Seto and Serenity forever!"

"Forever?" Kaiba asked disbelievingly.

"That's right, Seto. Forever and ever and ever and ever," Serenity replied sweetly.

"You know, it's about time we finally got on this date that we missed," Kaiba said, recalling how their date at the park had been ruined by Ryo, Takashi, and Rodger kidnapping the girl.

"Yep!" Serenity agreed. "Now, come with me, Seto. I'm gonna show you something." She took his hand in hers and pulled him along with her as she ran around the park. Finally, they came to a hill, where Serenity seated herself, urging Seto to sit next to her. He did. Sighing, Serenity laid her head on his shoulder.

"What'd you want to show me?" Kaiba asked curiously.

"Think back to our first date," Serenity whispered. "We met under the Sukura Tree because of little Mokuba's love notes. Then we went to a restaurant and had dinner, and then-"

"We went stargazing," Kaiba finished for her. "We sat by a lake and stared up at the stars for a long time. You pointed out how the world was beautiful. I remember."

"Yeah, and you couldn't see it then. Can you see the world's beauty now, Seto? Look around you."

Kaiba looked at Serenity for a moment. Then he looked all around him, at the trees, with all their autumn colors, the grass, the flowers, the sky... everything.

"Well...?"

"I don't know," Kaiba said.

Serenity- staring up into the clear, blue sky- told him, "Look harder."

"Hmm..." Kaiba continued looking at his surroundings.

"I wish you didn't have to leave," Serenity said softly.

Kaiba didn't say anything.

The girl gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

Kaiba turned his attention to Serenity, grinning. Then he kissed her, and kissed her and kissed her...

Serenity returned each of his kisses. The two of them sat there, kissing, for a long time.

When they broke apart, Kaiba began looking around again. "I see it now," he whispered in the girl's ear. "Thanks for showing me."

"No problem!" Serenity told him cheerfully.

* * *

Days later, Joey Wheeler and Mai Valentine were cruising in the young woman's fancy convertible, when they came upon an odd sight...

"Well, would you look at that!" Mai exclaimed.

"Huh?"

Mai slowed down a bit, pointing to a young couple walking down the sidewalk, heading for a restaurant. They walked hand in hand, chatting and smiling happily. "Cute, isn't it?"

It was none other than Joey's little sister and the young, rich, CEO of Kaiba Corporation, Seto Kaiba. Joey looked at them for a second, then turned his head away, grumbling.

"Isn't love just beautiful, Joey?" Mai asked, grinning.

"Not when it's my little sister falling for a no good, dirty, rotten-"

Mai cut him off before he could go any further. "Do you love me, Joey?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"I love you too."

"I know, but-"

"Isn't it great to be in love? To have somebody who cares about you and loves you? Aren't you just so happy? Isn't life wonderful?"

"Yeah, I guess..."

"Serenity feels the same way."

Joey gasped, then looked back at the happy couple. He watched them, his mouth hanging open.

"Joey," Mai whispered, "maybe Kaiba isn't perfect, but you wouldn't wanna take away your little sister's happiness, now would you- especially since you've experienced the same thing yourself."

Joey still watched them.

"Love is beautiful."

Joey turned back to his girlfriend. "Yeah," he agreed, smiling.


	20. Kaiba's Departure

Chapter 20: Kaiba's Departure

"This is it," Serenity whispered.

Kaiba nodded.

The two stood outside, with a plane only feet away from them. Seto Kaiba's own personal little plane.

"I'm gonna miss you."

Kaiba looked over his shoulder at the plane behind him, frowning. He hung his head. "I'll miss you too," he muttered quietly.

"Good luck with your business," Serenity told him.

"Yeah," Kaiba said simply. Then he turned his back to her, taking a few steps toward the plane.

Serenity rushed after him. "Seto!" she cried. She then hugged him tightly, tears filling her eyes. "I really am gonna miss you. So much. So, _so_ much."

Biting his bottom lip, Kaiba nodded. "I almost don't want to go," he admitted.

"But you have to!" Serenity exclaimed.

"I thought you didn't want me to..."

"Yeah, but there are more important things."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow in question.

"The orphans," Serenity went on. "Your dream."

Kaiba glanced back at the plane. "My dream," he whispered quietly.

"That's right. You have to fulfill it," Serenity insisted. "It's a wonderful thing you're doing, Seto. I want you to go out there and show the world that you're not just some cold, icy person. This dream of yours is going to prove that you do have a heart." Serenity smiled. "I already know that, of course," she added, "but others... well... have yet to see that side of you."

Kaiba crossed his arms in disgust, grunting.

"So... I'll miss you..."

"I know already," Kaiba snapped bitterly.

Concerned, Serenity asked, "What's the matter?"

Kaiba shoved her off of him, turning his back to her. "I don't want to go," he whispered. "I..."

Serenity placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't cry, Serenity. I didn't mean to hurt you like this. I didn't know you were going to come back to me. I would've canceled the trip. I still can. I should."

"No, you shouldn't!"

Seto looked back at her in confusion.

"I'm ok," Serenity told him, wiping away her tears. "I'm not sad. I'm happy, actually."

He didn't seem to understand.

"Happy for you," Serenity continued. "Listen, you're doing a good thing. Think about all the little orphans in the world. Those little boys and girls... just like you and Mokuba. You told me you wanted to give them hope and happiness. They need it. They need... _you."_

Kaiba turned to face her. He opened his arms wide, saying, "Give me a hug, girl."

Serenity hugged him tightly, the tears she so desperately tried to fight coming back. "Seto..."

Kaiba took the girl's face in his hands. He frowned at the sight of her crying. "I hate to leave you like this, but you're right. I've got to live my dream." A smirk came to his face as he went on, "Don't you go running around with other guys while I'm away."

"You have nothing to worry about," Serenity assured him. "This is," she added slyly, "as long as you don't go fooling around either."

Kaiba answered seriously, "This trip is strictly business." Then he gave her a long, passionate kiss. Afterward, he gently pushed the girl away from him. "Goodbye," he whispered.

"Bye, Seto..."

Kaiba slowly made his way toward the plane. Just as he was about to board it, he turned around to take one final look at his girl. He waved goodbye.

Serenity waved back. She forced herself to smile, then winked and blew a kiss to him.

A small smile came to Kaiba's lips.

_'Are those tears in his eyes?'_ Serenity wondered as she looked him over carefully. "Goodbye!" she yelled, waving nonstop.

Kaiba waved again.

"I love you! I love you, I love you, I love you! And I'll miss you!"

"Love you too," Kaiba called.

Serenity couldn't help but smile as the young CEO boarded the small plane. She continued to wave as it took off and didn't stop till it was high in the sky. Then, she wiped away the last of her tears. _'I'll wait for you,'_ she thought, as if she were talking to Seto. _'I'll wait for you and be here for you when you come back. I'll be here. Right here.'_ She smiled again, slowly walking away. Later, she looked over her shoulder at the empty sky. Seto Kaiba was well on his way. "I promise," she whispered, closing her eyes and letting the wind comb her hair. When she opened her eyes, she stared out at the beautiful, bright blue sky. "I'll be waiting here for you."


End file.
